Agad nagpaabot ng pakikiramay si TUCP Party-list Representative at Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza sa naiwang pamilya ng Pilipino seafarer na si Junry Popera, na nasawi sa isang oil tanker sa Indonesian matapos mapatid ang kadena ng inaayos na ankla.
Ang kasamahan naman nito na isa ring Pilipino na si Romulo Gollayan ay nagpapagaling matapos magtamo rin ng injury.
Ayon kay Mendoza, ipinapakita nito ang panganib na kinakaharap ng ating mga Pinoy seafarers sa ibayong dagat para sa ikabubuti ng kanilang pamilya.
“Junry was not just a worker—he was a father, a husband, and a dedicated Filipino who sacrificed for his family and our economy. His death and Romulo’s injury must not be ignored—it should be a wake-up call for the Government and the maritime industry to act with urgency and dispatch, such as the full implementation of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, to prevent another life from being lost at sea due to unsafe working conditions,” ani Mendoza.
Dahil naman dito, pinasisiguro ni Mendoza ang tamang implementasyon ng Magna Carta of Filipino Seafers.
Kasabay nito nanawagan din ang mambabatas sa Department of Migrant Workers na siyasatin kung tumalima ba ang oil tanker sa safety compliance, at panagutin ang shipowner kung kakitaan ng kapabayaan.
Bukod sa tulong medikal, kailangan din aniya maghanda ang Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ng financial assistance, counseling, at reintegration services para naman kay Gollayan sakaling hindi na makabalik sa trabaho.
“This tragedy is yet another proof of the urgent need for the strict immediate enforcement of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers for stronger protection and safer work conditions for our seafarers at home and abroad. Filipino seafarers have become the backbone of global shipping, yet their safety and dignity are too often an afterthought,” saad pa ni Mendoza. | ulat ni Kathleen Forbes
