The Philippine government is working on the early return of the 44 kidnapped Filipino sailors hijacked by Somali pirates on east African waters, a senior foreign affairs official said Saturday.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. said that the negotiations for the release of Filipino seafarers are underway.
"We are aware that negotiations continue and that all 44 Filipinos are unharmed. We continue to hope and pray for a positive outcome," he said via a press release.
As a policy, the Philippine government does not negotiate directly to pirates. However, it coordinates closely with concerned foreign authorities and the local manning agencies of the hijacked vessels to secure the early and safe release of Filipino seafarers.
Conejos also disclosed that Manila has already designated a Philippine navy officer to act as naval liaison to the Combined Maritime Forces in Manama, Bahrain.
The Combined Maritime Forces is a multinational task force conducting maritime security operations throughout the region.
Almost one third of the world's sailors come from the Philippines and Filipinos form the largest chunk of kidnapped seamen off the coast of Somalia.
Until the security situation has been stabilized, the Department of Foreign Affairs recommended the imposition of a ban on the deployment of Filipino seafarers in the Gulf of Aden and surrounding areas.
Source: Xinhua
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