Manila, March 27 (IANS) Bongbong Marcos, President of the Philippines, lauded and thanked the Indian Navy and the government for their swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino seafarers after they were attacked by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden this month.

The remarks were expressed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who arrived in the country this week to strengthen bilateral relations and engage on regional issues of mutual concern.

"I express my profound gratitude to the Indian government for their swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino seafarers involved in the MV True Confidence incident," Marcos said in a Facebook Post.

"I look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of our nations," Marcos added.

The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier MV True Confidence was attacked by Houthi rebels, approximately 55 nautical miles southwest of Aden on March 6, leading to a fire onboard in which the crew members sustained critical injuries.

Responding to the incident, INS Kolkata arrived at the scene and rescued 21 Filipino crew members from the life raft using its integral helicopter and boats, and provided critical medical aid to those injured.

The Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Enrique Manalo, also spoke about the rescue of MV True Confidence by INS Kolkata during an interaction with EAM Jaishankar.

Manalo was also briefed about the Indian Navy's deployments in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea to counter ongoing threats.

EAM Jaishankar has embarked on a three-nation tour to Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia, from March 23-27, to strengthen bilateral relations.

In June 2023, India and the Philippines co-chaired the fifth meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation in New Delhi during which both sides acknowledged that they have a shared interest in a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

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