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Saturday, October 11, 2008
Somali pirates release 2 more Filipinos (3:44 p.m.)
MANILA - Somali pirates have freed two more Filipino sailors, leaving 45 on two other ships still in their hands, a Philippine official said Saturday.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the two men were among 29 crew members on the Iranian bulk carrier Iran Deyanat freed late Friday. The ship was hijacked Aug. 21 in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast.
Conejos said the crewmen were reportedly "safe and in good condition" and the ship was sailing to Muscat, Oman.
He said they were expected to reach Oman by Monday.
It was not clear if a ransom was paid, but hostages in Somalia are usually freed in exchange for money.
On Thursday, the Japanese-operated bulk carrier Stella Maris and its 20 Filipino crew members were released after being held by pirates for more than 80 days.
The Philippines has been hard hit by the sharp rise in pirate attacks off Somalia.
Earlier this week, the Philippine government doubled the pay of sailors passing through pirate-infested international waters to compensate them for the dangers they face. Filipino sailors also were given the option to disembark at the nearest safe port before their vessels sail through dangerous waters like the Gulf of Aden.
Vice President Noli de Castro, who is also President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's adviser on overseas Filipino workers, is pushing for other measures to safeguard Filipino seamen, including increasing their insurance coverage.
More than 270,000 Filipinos work on foreign vessels, accounting for about a third of the world's shipping crews.
Government records show 117 Filipino crewmen have been seized by Somali pirates in 11 attacks since April. There were 20 Filipinos seized in one incident in 2006 and 10 in two attacks last year. (AP) |
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