After swift rescue of US captain, fate of Filseamen remains in limbo

(Updated) MANILA, Philippines - The daring high-seas rescue of American ship captain Richard Philips might have momentarily brought the world’s attention back to Somalia, but it did little to bring to the fore the plight of the remaining Filipino seafarers held captive there by pirates. Nelson Ramirez, president of Manila-based seafarer’s group United Filipino Seafarers said the international community seems to turn a blind eye to the larger population of Filipino crew members kidnapped by Somali pirates since November last year. “The entire incident is sensationalized because an American was held hostage," Ramirez told GMANews.TV in an interview. “[But] when the number of Filipinos abducted by pirates swelled to 100, there was no reaction." As this developed, reality television show, Spike TV, announced that it will follow US naval units hunting for pirates in the Gulf of Aden to bring "an up-close and behind-the-scenes look at the US Navy operation to end this deadly threat of piracy." The International Maritime Bureau said there were 260 crewmembers on 14 hijacked ships being held off the coast of Somalia as of Tuesday. Seven of these hijacked vessels have more than 100 Filipino seafarers. The number of Filipino seafarers being held hostage in Somalia have constantly yo-yoed — from 44 at the start of the year to 108 last month — as pirates continuously hijack ships passing through the Gulf of Aden, slowly releasing vessels only after ship owners willingly pay multi-million dollar ransom. Various US media entities gave a blow by blow account on the hijacking incident involving Capt. Philips, particularly the daring rescue that involved snipers shooting three of the four Somali pirates who have kidnapped the American ship officer. (For related story click here) No other than President Barack Obama praised the risky Sunday rescue and even vowed to work with other nations “to halt the rise of piracy." But Somali pirates threatened to kill the remaining hostages should other countries attack them to free their nationals. Noting the danger faced by the hostages, Ramirez urged the Philippine government to use the newfound attention of the Western media and steer it toward the plight of Filipino seafarers. “It is high-time for the government to strengthen its representation in the UN to bring to the fore that many Filipino seafarers are being held against their will in Somalia," Ramirez said. While the Philippine government is “relieved" to learn about the rescue of Capt. Philips, it remains mum on the issue of the reported ‘hypocrisy’ of the US in being concerned about the piracy in Somalia only because an American was abducted, while almost 100 Filipinos have been kidnapped since November 2008. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ed Malaya told GMANews.TV that they are constantly working with their partners in securing the safe release and repatriation of the 98 Filipinos held by Somali pirates. Malaya noted that despite the pirates’ threats, they have not received any report of Filipinos deliberately hurt by the sea bandits. (Next: Filipino captain held in Somalia) Filipino captain held in Somalia While the hostage drama involving the American captain concluded in just four days, Ramirez said, at least one Filipino captain remains to be freed since he was kidnapped last Nov. 10. The UFS president identified the Filipino ship officer as Capt. Abelardo Pacheco of the Panamanian-owned MT Stolt Strength who has been kidnapped along with 22 other Filipinos for 155 days. Pacheco was a former examiner of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), Ramirez added. The delay in the release of Filipino seafarers seems to be a norm under the current policies of the Philippine government, according to Milton Unso, president of the Mariners Association for Regional and International Networking Organization (Marino). “Our government has no teeth. It has no capacity to extract the Filipino seamen; it only resorts to diplomatic means," Unso said. Spouses of Filipino seafarers onboard the MT Stolt have broken their silence on Tuesday afternoon and demanded that the Philippine government step up its action to help free their husbands. “Can’t they just free our husbands?" one of the wives told reporters, referring to the Somali pirates. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has always maintained that it does not directly talk with kidnappers as the government keeps a ‘no-ransom policy’ in these situations. Instead, the DFA contacts the ship’s owners and the seafarers manning agency to facilitate the safe release of the Filipinos. Despite report of ransom money being exchange for the release of the crew and the vessel, the DFA maintains that it has no knowledge of this. (Next: Temporary solutions vs. piracy)

Pirates guard the crew of the Chinese fishing vessel FV Tianyu 8 as it sails through the Indian Ocean on Nov. 13. Three Filipino seafarers are on board the ship. US Navy

Temporary solutions vs. piracy Unso said that they want to ask the government what it can do to resolve the kidnappings of Filipino seafarers in the Horn of Africa. Since Filipinos compose one-third of the world’s shipping manpower, they are the most prone to piracy attacks. But Unso said seafarers already have the option to refuse passing through pirate-prone areas like the Gulf of Aden to avoid being kidnapped. “But they still do because they are paid more. That’s suicide," Unso said. Last year, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) issued Resolution No. 4, which doubles the hazard pay of seafarers crossing “high-risk waters." Aside from this, seafarers are also given the option to step down at the nearest port before crossing the troubled Gulf. At first, the DFA eyed a confusing deployment ban on Somali waters. “I suggest that we look into the contracts of the seafarers so that they won’t be allowed to board ships that will pass through dangerous areas," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said last August. Then the government backpedaled on the proposal when the maritime industry questioned the rule. They argue that seafarers cannot simply leave the boat once it crosses waters that the Philippine government has banned for travel. In case seafarers are abducted, Esteban Conejos Jr., DFA undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs, said Filipino crew members could always deal with the situation through language adaptability. “We have even given our seafarers certain basic language courses in Somalia like how to say ‘no,’ ‘yes,’ ‘eat,’ and ‘water,’" Conejos said. Some ship owners too, who are often forced to shell out millions of dollars in ransom, have initiated steps to curb the expensive hijackings of their ships. One-third of the world’s shipping manpower requirement or an estimated 350,000 seafarers are supplied by Filipinos. - GMANews.TV