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Friday, October 08, 2004
Seafarers held hostage doing well (12:10 p.m.)
MANILA -- Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo disclosed that the two Filipino seafarers held hostage during a sea jacking incident of M/V Erna in Malacca Strait last Saturday "are alive and doing fine."
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official website, the Philippine Embassies in Singapore, Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are closely monitoring the case of the abduction.
Romulo added that negotiations spearheaded by the boat owner are ongoing and that there is optimism that these negotiations would lead to the eventual release of the hostages.
Earlier, DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) was informed that two Filipino seafarers were abducted when pirates sea jacked the ocean tugboat M/V Erna.
Two Filipino officers, the boat’s master (Captain) and Chief Engineer, were aboard.
The attack took place on Saturday at around 6:22 p.m. while M/V Erna was towing a crane barge through the Malacca Straits.
Both Filipinos were taken off the tugboat by the attackers to be held hostage. (Sunnex) |
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