‘Christmas in Somalia likely for 71 kidnapped RP seafarers’
JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE, GMANews.TV
With only 24 days before Christmas, some 71 Filipinos who are held captive by Somali pirates in the Horn of Africa are likely to spend the holidays locked up on their ships than at home with their loved ones, the head of a seafarers’ group said Tuesday.
“Although the Philippine government began to move swiftly in calling for the release of the seafarers, there is a big possibility that they will spend the holidays there," said Nelson Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS).
Interviewed by GMANews.TV, Ramirez said the government needs to send out more men to Africa to pressure shipowners in facilitating the release of the captured seafarers.
Hijacked ships in Somalia with Filipino seafarers on them
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Win Far 161 - Hijacked on April 6 with 17 Filipinos.
MV Charelle- Hijacked on June 13 with 3 Filipinos.
Sichem Peace - Hijacked on July 4 with 2 Filipinos.*
Thai Union 3- Hijacked on October 29 with 2 Filipinos.
MV Delvina - Hijacked on November 5 with 14 Filipinos.
MV Filitsa – Hijacked on November 11 with 19 Filipinos
MV Maran Centaurus – Hijacked November 29 with 16 Filipinos
* Except for the Sichem Peace, all the ships mentioned are in the hands of pirates in Somalia.
“It’s okay that the government is coordinating with the shipowners, but they need more people to handle such concerns. They need to deploy people to Africa and help in coordinating with the release of the Filipinos," he said.
Filipinos make up a third of the world’s seafarers, making them the most visible nationality in the world’s ships as well as the most vulnerable to pirate abductions.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ed Malaya said the Philippine government has kept pressuring shipowners for the early release of the Filipino seafarers. “The pressure is there, it never waned," Malaya told GMANews.TV in a phone interview from Indonesia.
"Each negotiation has its own dynamics, and it is difficult to predict when a specific negotiation may be concluded. Nonetheless, we will exert efforts to have them resolved, through the proper parties, as soon as practicable," he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, which confirmed on Tuesday the hijacking of a third Greek-owned ship with 16 Filipinos on board, said the government has already instructed the Philippine Embassy in Athens to coordinate the safe and immediate release of the Filipino seafarers.
Manila does not directly negotiate with the hostage-takers but continues to coordinate with the transitional government of Somalia and the shipping firms to work for the immediate and safe release of the hostages. Somalia has no central government.
The Greek-flagged Maran Centaurus and its 28-man crew were hijacked last November 29 by Somali pirates as the vessel sailed about 750 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
Last year, 91 Filipino seafarers on board five vessels spent their Christmas in Somalia.
Pirate attacks worldwide in the first nine months of 2009 exceeded the whole of last year's total because of more frequent raids in the Gulf of Aden and off the east coast of Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.
According to the maritime watchdog group, the number of attacks rose to 306 between January and September, surpassing the 293 incidents recorded throughout 2008.
The use of guns in the attacks more than doubled to 176 cases in the first nine months of 2009 from 76 in the same period of last year, the report added.
The higher number of attacks was due mainly to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea lanes, and the east coast of Somalia, which combined accounts for 147 cases, the report said.
Somalia has been ravaged by violence and anarchy since 1991 and piracy has flourished off its coast, making the Gulf of Aden one of the most dangerous waterways in the world. - KBK, GMANews.TV
With only 24 days before Christmas, some 71 Filipinos who are held captive by Somali pirates in the Horn of Africa are likely to spend the holidays locked up on their ships than at home with their loved ones, the head of a seafarers’ group said Tuesday.
“Although the Philippine government began to move swiftly in calling for the release of the seafarers, there is a big possibility that they will spend the holidays there," said Nelson Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS).
Interviewed by GMANews.TV, Ramirez said the government needs to send out more men to Africa to pressure shipowners in facilitating the release of the captured seafarers.
Hijacked ships in Somalia with Filipino seafarers on them
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Win Far 161 - Hijacked on April 6 with 17 Filipinos.
MV Charelle- Hijacked on June 13 with 3 Filipinos.
Sichem Peace - Hijacked on July 4 with 2 Filipinos.*
Thai Union 3- Hijacked on October 29 with 2 Filipinos.
MV Delvina - Hijacked on November 5 with 14 Filipinos.
MV Filitsa – Hijacked on November 11 with 19 Filipinos
MV Maran Centaurus – Hijacked November 29 with 16 Filipinos
* Except for the Sichem Peace, all the ships mentioned are in the hands of pirates in Somalia.
“It’s okay that the government is coordinating with the shipowners, but they need more people to handle such concerns. They need to deploy people to Africa and help in coordinating with the release of the Filipinos," he said.
Filipinos make up a third of the world’s seafarers, making them the most visible nationality in the world’s ships as well as the most vulnerable to pirate abductions.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ed Malaya said the Philippine government has kept pressuring shipowners for the early release of the Filipino seafarers. “The pressure is there, it never waned," Malaya told GMANews.TV in a phone interview from Indonesia.
"Each negotiation has its own dynamics, and it is difficult to predict when a specific negotiation may be concluded. Nonetheless, we will exert efforts to have them resolved, through the proper parties, as soon as practicable," he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, which confirmed on Tuesday the hijacking of a third Greek-owned ship with 16 Filipinos on board, said the government has already instructed the Philippine Embassy in Athens to coordinate the safe and immediate release of the Filipino seafarers.
Manila does not directly negotiate with the hostage-takers but continues to coordinate with the transitional government of Somalia and the shipping firms to work for the immediate and safe release of the hostages. Somalia has no central government.
The Greek-flagged Maran Centaurus and its 28-man crew were hijacked last November 29 by Somali pirates as the vessel sailed about 750 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
Last year, 91 Filipino seafarers on board five vessels spent their Christmas in Somalia.
Pirate attacks worldwide in the first nine months of 2009 exceeded the whole of last year's total because of more frequent raids in the Gulf of Aden and off the east coast of Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.
According to the maritime watchdog group, the number of attacks rose to 306 between January and September, surpassing the 293 incidents recorded throughout 2008.
The use of guns in the attacks more than doubled to 176 cases in the first nine months of 2009 from 76 in the same period of last year, the report added.
The higher number of attacks was due mainly to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea lanes, and the east coast of Somalia, which combined accounts for 147 cases, the report said.
Somalia has been ravaged by violence and anarchy since 1991 and piracy has flourished off its coast, making the Gulf of Aden one of the most dangerous waterways in the world. - KBK, GMANews.TV
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