Pirates free 15 Filipino seamen

2008-10-09 08:02

Manila - Pirates in Somalia have released 15 Filipino seamen and four other crewmen seized when a chemical tanker was hijacked nearly two months ago, but are still holding 67 other Filipino sailors, officials said on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Department, Claro Cristobal, said the seamen from the MT Irene, operated by a Japanese company, were freed late on Wednesday and were expected in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

"All crew members are safe and sound despite the ordeal they have undergone," he said.

The Philippines, one of the largest suppliers of crewmen in the international shipping industry, has been hit hard by a sharp increase in the number of Somali pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

Four ships with 67 Filipino sailors remained in the hands of Somali pirates, including the MV Stella Maris, a Japanese-owned bulk carrier that was seized on July 20, Cristobal said.

One Filipino sailor was killed when pirates in speed boats climbed aboard one of two Malaysian tankers last month, which have since been released.

The rise in piracy off Somali waters prompted Philippine Vice President Noli de Castro last month to call for added safeguards for Filipino sailors, including the option for them to disembark before entering "danger zones" such as the Gulf of Aden.

He also suggested higher hazard pay and improved insurance coverage for Filipino seamen, as well as military escorts for commercial vessels.

But any such added benefits would have to be negotiated between the government, recruiting agencies and ship owners.

- AP