Filtered By: Topstories
News

DFA hopes to free 86 Pinoy seafarers by Christmas


MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government is optimistic that the 89 Filipino seafarers held captive by Somali pirates would be freed immediately to spend their Christmas back home. Claro Cristobal, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, told GMANews.TV that they are “doing everything" to expedite the release and return of the kidnapped seamen in Somali waters. “Our efforts are unrelenting," Cristobal assured in an interview on Wednesday. The number of Filipino seafarers abducted by Somali pirates climbed to 89 on Monday when the notorious sea bandits hijacked a chemical tanker crossing the Gulf of Aden near Somalia. The Philippine-flagged and operated chemical tanker MT Stolt Strength was manned by 23 Filipinos when it was seized. Despite feeling the pressure to bring the Filipinos home, Cristobal said they are only involved in coordinating between the ship owners and the Philippine Embassy officials near Somalia. The Philippine government has maintained a no-ransom policy against kidnappers. Cristobal said they are undertaking other steps but refused to divulge them to media because of the “sensitivity" of the issue. Engineer Nelson Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers group, however, said that the government cannot be relied on in this situation. “Our government can't do anything," he said."In this arena, the ship owners have the decision." Meanwhile, Milton Unso, president of the Mariners Association for Regional and International Networking Organization, said the DFA has been uncooperative to advocacy groups like them who want to reach out to the kidnapped seafarers including their relatives. “Until now we have no idea who the manning agency is. This is important to put pressure and demand action for the release of the seafarers," Unso told GMANews.TV. Connivance The advocacy group leader said some manning agencies are conniving with insurance firms to wrongfully declare dead or missing Filipinos as stowaways, thus excluding them from benefits. From July to October this year, the DFA has recorded 127 Filipino seamen on board 11 ships who were hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. Of the number, 61 have been released so far, including the body of one who was killed in an accident in August when pirates boarded the Malaysian ship M/T Melati Bunga Dua. Cristobal said there are still 66 other Filipinos who are still held by the pirates on board five ships. (See related story here.) Because of the hijackings, the Department of Labor and Employment declared the Gulf of Aden as a high-risk zone and ordered ship owners to double the hazard pay of Filipino seafarers crossing these areas. Likewise, Filipino seamen were given the option to disembark from the ship should they decide not to continue with the voyage because of the risks involved. Cristobal said this memorandum has been in effect for a long time and is currently being implemented by shipowners with Filipino crew members on board their vessels. US lawyer Ross Toyne, co-founder of the Toyne & Mayo law firm in Florida, said Filipino seamen could lodge complaints against ship owners who permit their vessels to ply certain pirate-prone areas despite being aware of the risks involved in doing so. He said that for the complaint to succeed, it must be proven that the ship owners have prior knowledge of the risks involved in the area and have failed to take safety precautions in their vessels. However, Toyne admits that it would be difficult to find seafarers willing to lodge complaints especially when ship owners usually double the benefits of seafarers that have been freed from captivity. A representative of ship owner Beluga Shipping, owner of the BBC Trinidad which was freed last August, earlier admitted that the company paid a ransom for the safe release of the ship and its crew. - GMANews.TV
LOADING CONTENT