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Revoke license of firm that deployed captive seamen - Noli


MANILA, Philippines - The government was asked to revoke the license of Sea Cap Shipping Inc., the agency that deployed 23 Filipino seafarers still being held hostage by Somali pirates. Jennifer Manalili, chief of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has already been asked to look into whether Sea Cap Shipping Inc. and its principal, Sagana Shipping Inc. “are doing everything to bring [the] Filipino seamen safely back home," Vice President Noli De Castro said in a statement released Thursday. “Should efforts be found insufficient to assure the safety of our OFWs, I want the licenses of these companies revoked," De Castro said. Unless the agencies concerned secure the 23 crewmembers’ safe release, their continued operations will become detrimental to the future of other aspiring overseas Filipino workers, De Castro said. Last November 10, Somali pirates hijacked the M/T Stolt Strength and held its Filipino crewmembers hostage. De Castro said that all the other manning agencies and their principals have secured the safe release of other crewmen who have similarly been kidnapped in Somalia. This prompted him to wonder why the M/T Stolt Strength incident remains unresolved despite being one of the earliest incidents of hijacking. Manalili was not available for comment although the POEA Repatriation Branch has previously told GMANews.TV that their agency suspends the licenses of agencies who fail to repatriate Filipino workers as recommended by Philippine Overseas Labor Offices onsite. However, the status of Sea Cap, Shipping Inc. remains to be “in good standing" as indicated by POEA records. Meanwhile, Dexter Custodio of Sea Cap on Thursday assured the vice president that the company is doing everything in its power to rescue the seafarers. “Hindi namin pwede pabayaan ito, tao namin ito [We cannot just let this go, they’re our people]," he told GMANews.TV in a phone interview on Thursday. Custodio also said that the company has not been remiss in its duties. “Since the vessel was hijacked, we have been trying to negotiate with the pirates," he said, adding that the POEA has been updated about the matter for five to six times already. The company has also been updating the families of the 23 Filipino workers about their situation. - GMANews.TV
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