PHL now a member of UN group vs piracy

With 97 Filipinos still held captive by Somali pirates, the Philippine government said it is intensifying its efforts against piracy off the coast of Somalia by clinching membership in a United Nations (UN) anti-piracy group. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines was officially admitted as member of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) last week. Ambassador Hayoong Moon, Korea’s Permanent Representative to the UN, announced the membership of the Philippines during the 7th CGPCS Plenary Meeting on November 10 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The meeting was attended by 50 member-states, eight international organizations, and five shipping industry associations. “This is an important membership for us as the Contact Group is the primary global body that is taking direct action on multiple levels to address the serious problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia," Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Libran Cabactulan said. The CGPCS – a voluntary, ad hoc international forum – was established on January 12, 2009 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1851. It is tasked with facilitating discussion and coordination of actions among states and organizations to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia. Cabactulan vowed to work closely with some 60 member nations and organizations of the Contact Group, saying the Philippine government is determined to protect Filipino seafarers from the piracy “scourge." “We had made it abundantly clear to the Contact Group that the Philippine Government attaches great importance to the protection and welfare of seafarers inasmuch as there is a high number of Filipinos seafarers on merchant vessels that sail off the coast of Somalia and nearby areas," he said. 1.6M Pinoy seafarers since 2004 The DFA said Filipino seafarers account for almost 30 percent of the global seaborne manpower. Records from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show the government has deployed some 1.6 million seafarers from 2004 to 2009, with the figures continually increasing despite more and more Filipino seamen being held captive by Somali pirates. Majority of the Filipino seafarers are deployed in bulk carrier, passenger and container vessels as ordinary seamen, oilers, chief cooks and second mates. They sent some US$3.4 billion in remittances last year. The European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) said that for this year, 10 vessels with 117 Filipino seafarers have been captured by Somali pirates. The most recent incident involved Panamanian-flagged Hannibal II with 31 crew members, including four Filipinos, which was seized by pirates on November 11. On November 6, pirates released MT Samho Dream and its crew of 24, 19 of whom were Filipinos, after seven months in captivity. To date, there are still 97 Filipinos on board six vessels being held by pirates, according to the EU NAVFOR. DFA ensuring safety of captured seamen The DFA said it is closely coordinating with the Philippine Embassies involved and the seafarers’ manning agencies to get updates on the negotiations between the pirates and the ships’ principals, as well as to ensure the safety of the seafarers. DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban B. Conejos likewise said the department is ensuring that the manning agencies continue to give the salaries and other financial benefits of the seafarers to their families in the Philippines. The DFA also meets with the victims’ families to update them on the condition of their next of kin who remain in captivity. Months ago, the government said it has dispatched armed forces liaison officer Navy Lieutenant Gaudencio Rosales to work and coordinate with the Joint Naval Forces on anti-piracy efforts at the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The Gulf of Aden, a transit point from Egypt’s Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean and one of the world’s busiest sea lanes, has become extremely dangerous for ships with the increasing number of piracy attacks and hijackings there. - KBK, GMANews.TV