Somali pirates free hijacked vessel with Filipino seafarers

Somali pirates have finally released a Panama-flagged vessel including the 24 Filipinos on board, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Tuesday. In an interview on dzBB radio on Tuesday, DFA spokesperson Eduardo Malaya said their agency received the confirmation that MV Renaur and all its crew members were freed by the Somali pirates on April 23. Malaya said all the 24 Filipinos are in good condition and will be repatriated. "Hindi magtatagal, makakauwi na din sila," Malaya assured. Malaya said normally, shipping companies shoulder the repatriation costs. However, he assured that the DFA has sufficient funds for the repatriation of the 24 freed Filipinos. On December 11, 2010, the Panama-flagged and Greek-owned MV Renaur was hijacked about 1,050 nautical miles east of Somalia in the Indian Ocean. It was heading to Fujirah in the United Arab Emirates from Port Louis, Mauritius when it was attacked. However, Malaya also said 40 Filipinos on seven different ships are still held captive by pirates. He further advised shipping principals to implement the appropriate management and anti-piracy measures. "Sana sundin nila yung best shipping management practices para ma-avoid ang pagbihag ng mga pirata," he said. - Emmanuel Louis Bacani, VVP, GMA News