Sunday, October 12, 2008 2 Pinoy hostages in Somalia, 29 others freed
TWO more Filipino seafarers were released by Somali pirates along with 29 other foreign crew members of the Iranian bulk carrier M/V Iran Denayat, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
The released Filipino hostages - Sergio Paloma of Leyte Province and Reynaldo Uy Jr. of Davao City - were part of the crew of the Iranian vessel that was seized by Somali pirates last August 21.
"All crew members including the two Filipinos are reported safe and in good condition. The DFA is now coordinating with the ship owners for the repatriation of our compatriots," said DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos.
Conejos said the freed hostages are expected to arrive on October 13 or 14 in Muscat, Oman where Paloma and Uy will be transported back to the Philippines.
Earlier, 20 Filipino seamen of a Japanese-operated bulk carrier were released by Somali pirates, 82 days after their vessel was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.
DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal said the Panama-flagged but Japanese-operated M/V Stella Maris, with 20 Filipino crew members, were released by the pirates last Thursday.
Another group of 15 Filipino seafarers on board another Japanese-operated chemical tanker, the M/T Irene, were freed by Somali pirates after 49 days in captivity early this week.
The DFA said three ships with Filipino crew are still in the hands of the pirates, namely: M/T Stolt Valor, a Hong Kong chemical tanker with two Filipinos and 31 other foreign nationals, seized on September 15; M/V Centauri, a Greek-owned tanker with a 26 all-Filipino crew, seized on September 17; and M/V Capt Stephanos, Greek-owned ship, with 17 Filipino seafarers on board, seized on September 21.
Meanwhile, amid a series of abductions of Filipino sailors in Somalia, Malacañang said it is still leaving to the DFA to decide on whether a deployment ban should be imposed there.
"I'd refer that question to the DFA. They (DFA) have guidelines on which country we can send our workers," said deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez.
Besides, Golez said many of the Filipinos abducted in Somalia were not deployed to Somalia itself but to countries from where the ships they served on originated.
It was just a matter of the Filipino sailors entering "unfriendly areas," said Golez. "Let's wait for the DFA to come up with their own guidelines." (AH/JMR/Sunnex)
