THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said 15 Filipino seamen kidnapped in Somalia have been freed, along with six others following the release of their ship that was hijacked in April, bringing to 26 the number of Filipino seamen who remain under captivity in Somalia.
DFA Spokesman Raul Hernandez said Italian-flagged and-owned bulk carrier Rosalia D’Amato was released from captivity on November 25.
Somali pirates hijacked the ship on April 25, about 350 nautical miles east of Salalah, Oman. Of its 21 crew members, 15 of them are Filipinos.
“The families of the Filipino crewmembers have been informed of the release,” said Hernandez in a statement, adding the Italian vessel sailed toward the port of Salalah in Oman where the crew members would undergo medical checkup and debriefing before they are repatriated.
He said a total of 26 Filipino seamen onboard three vessels remain in Somali pirates’ hands.
The United Nations Security Council has adopted two resolutions allowing the deployment of military ships on the pirate-infested waters of Somalia and Nigeria to prevent further hijacking of foreign vessels usually coming from European countries.
The Philippines has more than 200,000 Filipino seamen working in these foreign flagged vessels and have been facing frequent kidnapping by Somali pirates.
Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph
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