A United Arab Emirates-flagged and Arab-owned crude carrier, with a Filipino seafarer onboard, was released from captivity by Somali pirates on June 10, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Tuesday.
MT Zirku was hijacked on March 28 approximately 250 nautical miles South East of Salalah, Oman.
The vessel has a total of 29 crew of mixed nationalities.
According to the DFA, Captain Gaudencio Collado, Armed Forces of the Philippines Liaison Officer to the Combined Maritime Forces, and the vessel's local manning agency disclosed all crew members are in good condition.
The vessel is now sailing towards Salalah in Oman, and arrangements for the repatriation of the Filipino seafarer to Manila are being made.
To date, there are 78 Filipino seafarers on board eight vessels still in captivity by Somali pirates.
The DFA said the Philippine government has undertaken measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to piracy attacks, including making arrangements with ship principals and manning agencies for vessels to travel along a safety corridor and to adopt best management practices as a deterrence to piracy attacks.
It has likewise taken up the issue of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean before the United Nations and other international organizations. The Philippines is a member of the intergovernmental Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS).
The DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) continues to coordinate closely with the concerned Philippine Embassies, the vessels' principals and the local manning agencies for the early and safe release of the other Filipino seafarers.
Source: The Manila Bulletin Newspaper
Manning Agency must provide Anti Piracy training to their seafarers to minimize incident like this.
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