Wednesday, November 19, 2008 DFA confirms 18 Pinoy sailors held captive in Somalia
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Tuesday that 18 more Filipino seamen are on board a Japanese-owned freighter that was taken over by suspected Somali pirates last November 16.
DFA spokesperson Claro Cristobal said the 23 crewmembers, including the 18 Filipinos, of the hijacked MV Chemstar Venus are "reported unharmed and in good condition."
The five other crewmembers were South Koreans.
"We have already instructed the two Philippine embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and in Tokyo, Japan to coordinate with the ship owners to facilitate the release of the seafarers," Cristobal said.
This confirmation brings to 108 the number of Filipino seamen still held captive by sea pirates in the Horn of Africa.
On Monday, the DFA confirmed the release of Filipino seamen Israel Lumpas and Ernesto Cuartero, 62 days after they were held captive by Somali pirates inside the M/T Stolt Valor.
The 20,000-ton-class ship was seized by the pirates Saturday night in waters 96 miles east of Somalia's port city of Aden.
In a related development, the DFA has yet to verify reports that a hijacked Saudi-owned oil supertanker, loaded with crude and carrying 25 crewmembers, had Filipino seafarers on board when it was taken over by Somali pirates also on Saturday.
Cristobal said they are still verifying the reports and coordinating with Saudi authorities on the matter.
Sea pirates usually target vessels that have low-lying decks like freighters and chemical tankers.
Somalia, which has had no functioning government since 1991, is the world's top piracy hotspot. It is located along the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean; and is one of the world's busiest waterways with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year.
Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rockets launchers, and various types of grenades.
The Philippines supplies one-third of all the seafarers in the world, making them at high risk to pirate abductions in high seas. (AH/Sunnex)
