n e w s

As Filipinos from all over the globe return home to celebrate Christmas with their families, 91 Filipino seafarers remained locked up inside their ships as Somali pirates refused to release them allegedly until ship owners pay ransom.

A total of 17 vessels – ranging from small fishing boats to huge oil supertankers – with 208 Filipino seafarers on board have been hijacked by Somali pirates near the Gulf of Aden since April 4 this year. Through ransom allegedly paid by ship owners, 117 of the 208 seafarers have been released as of December 8.

The numbers are not surprising as Filipinos are present in all of the world’s ships. Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said one-third of the world’s shipping manpower requirement or an estimated 350,000 seafarers are supplied by Filipinos.

At first the DFA eyed a confusing deployment ban on Somali waters. Then the government backpedaled on the proposal when the maritime industry questioned the rule. They argue that seafarers cannot simply leave the boat once it crosses waters that the Philippine government has banned for travel.

Piracy in the Horn of Africa not only showed the lawlessness in Somalia but also the vulnerability of Filipino seafarers in high seas.

GMANews.TV © 2008