DFA: Pinoy seafarer freed by pirates in good condition

The Filipino seafarer manning a ship released by pirates last week is in good condition, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement Tuesday. “Captain Gaudencio Collado, Armed Forces of the Philippines liaison officer to the combined maritime forces, and the vessel’s local manning agency reported to the DFA that all crew members are in good condition," the DFA said. The DFA confirmed the MT Zirku, a United Arab Emirates-flagged and Arab-owned crude carrier, was released from captivity by Somali pirates on June 10. The vessel was hijacked on March 28 approximately 250 nautical miles South East of Salalah, Oman. It had 29 crewmembers of mixed nationalities. Last week, Somalia Report cited diplomatic sources who said the vessel was released Saturday morning. “The UAE-flagged vessel has a crew of 29 (1 Croatian, 1 Iraqi, 1 Filipino, 1 Indian, 3 Jordanians, 3 Egyptians, 2 Ukrainians and 17 Pakistanis). All of the crew members were said to be safe and in good health," the report said. The ship was heading to Singapore at the time it was seized, Somalia Report said. Unconfirmed information revealed the pirates may have received a $12-million ransom payment, it added. — JE, GMA News