15 Pinoy seafarers released by pirates in Somalia - DFA exec

(Updated 7:52 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Fifteen Filipino seafarers on board a Japanese-operated chemical tanker were freed by Somali pirates Wednesday evening (Manila time) 49 days after they were abducted in African waters. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Claro Cristobal told GMANews.TV in a text message on Thursday morning that the 15 Filipinos along with four other foreign nationals of the M/T Irene were freed around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. "(They are now) heading towards Fujairah, UAE (United Arab Emirates). All crew members are safe," Cristobal said. Cristobal added that the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with shipowners for the repatriation of the Filipino seamen. This latest development brings to 67 the remaining Filipinos being held by pirates in the Horn of Africa since July this year, according to the DFA. The five other ships with Filipino crew that are still being held by pirates are: • MV Stella Maris, a Japanese-owned bulk carrier with a 20 all-Filipino crew, seized July 20; • MV Iran Deyanat, with two Filipino crew members, seized August 21; • MT Stolt Valor, a Hong Kong chemical tanker with two Filipinos and 31 other nationals, seized on Sept. 15; • MV Centauri, a Greek-owned tanker with a 26 all-Filipino crew, seized on September 17; and • MV Capt Stephanos, Greek-owned ship, with 17 Filipino seafarers on board, seized on September 21. The M/V Stella Maris, a Japanese-owned bulk carrier with a 20 all-Filipino crew, had been in the custody of Somali pirates for 81 days (as of posting time) after it was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. Meanwhile, the DFA is still verifying reports of the abduction of six Filipino seamen on board a vessel crossing the Nigerian delta earlier this month. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr said the team will be dispatched to Bonny in Niger Delta for the verification mission. An Associated Press report Sunday said unidentified gunmen seized six Filipino seamen from a boat plying the waterways of Nigeria's southern oil delta region. The abduction occurred hours after a British kidnap victim was released in the same area. Authorities are yet to confirm whether the two incidents were linked. The Philippines supply one-third of the world’s shipping manpower with about 270,000 Filipino seamen employed by foreign maritime agencies, making them the most vulnerable and prone to pirate attacks. Manila does not directly negotiate with the hostage-takers but continues to coordinate with the transitional government of Somalia and the shipping firms to work for the immediate and safe release of the hostages. Somalia has no central government. - GMANews.TV