UN urged to secure freedom of abducted Filseamen

MANILA, Philippines - Lamenting over the seeming indifference of the Philippine government, a seafarers' group asked the United Nations (UN) Wednesday to mediate for the release of Filipino seafarers being held hostage by Somali pirates.

The International Seafarers’ Action Center (ISAC) made the appeal amid threats of heightened pirate attacks even on ships sailing far from Somali territory.

"Primarily, it is the responsibility of the State to take care of its workers, be it here or abroad... However, the way we see it, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) seem to be very complacent about the situation; this places the lives of our kababayans in grave danger," ISAC vice president maritime lawyer Joseph Entero said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Web site.

He added that the problem has become an international concern, and that the UN Security Council "must act now."

"However, there must be caution to ensure the safe release of the captives, especially the 96 Filipinos being held hostage by these pirates," he said.

Entero assailed the seeming passiveness of the Philippine government in dealing with the problems of piracy, risking the lives of the Filipino seafarers.

He said POEA rules and regulations are clear on the agency’s responsibility to ensure that workers deployed overseas are amply protected.

Moreover, Entero said manning agencies in the Philippines placing seafarers in fleets going to dangerous zones such as the Horn of Africa should also be held accountable for the fate of abducted Pinoy seamen.

He said, “The (manning agencies and ship-owners) must also be (held) accountable for endangering the lives of their workers…."

The lawyer pushed for the creation of effective mechanisms for tracking cases of kidnapping and to sanction manning and shipping firms that fail to report or act on abduction cases.

On the other hand, he said government should also provide necessary assistance, post-traumatic therapy and medical attention to victims who have been repatriated, and to ensure that the reparation and other earned benefits be given immediately to the families their families to cushion the economic impact caused by long-time detention of their breadwinners. - GMANews.TV

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