10 RP seamen stranded in Nigeria on ship violation

TACLOBAN CITY — A seaman who returned to the country last October 17 has revealed that 10 Filipino seafarers are still awaiting repatriation back to the Philippines after their ship was stopped by the Nigerian government from sailing back to their port of origin due to a violation of a local law.

According to Mendel Mueva, a resident of Tanauan town, Leyte, who was able to return to the country along with eight other Filipinos, two of the 10 still stranded crew members of their vessel, M/T Lavelle Sea, an international fuel tanker, are from Eastern Visayas.

He identified the two as Francis Adolfo, of Abuyog, Leyte, and Kenneth Macabata from Sogod, Southern Leyte.

Those who were able to return home together with Mueva were Merito de la Victoria, Leonardo Saldaña, Fernando Cruz, Brian Pallera, Eduardo Manaut, Reynan Palmes, Arnold Rebuya and Manuel San Juan.

M/T Lavelle Sea, a Liberian-registered fuel tanker, was stopped by the Nigerian authorities last July 26 from sailing back to Bangladesh for violating the cabotage law, a piece of legislation which seeks to transfer the bulk or all of domestic maritime transport and trade to local operators.

Mueva said the Archipelago Ship Management, an Athens-based company, owned the 30,000 tonnage fuel tanker.

He said the tanker docked at the Lagos port after it delivered cargo consisting of fuel and had been held in the port for over three months.

Mueva said that the all-Filipino crew members, captained by Erickson Tan, were prohibited from disembarking from the ship unless issued a “sure pass” by the government of Nigeria. They are guarded by four Nigerian soldiers, according to Mueva.

Mueva said that while he and eight others were able to return home on October 17, the rest, including Tan, remained holed up inside their ship, which was docked over four nautical miles away from the Lagos port, as of the latest news reaching him.

He explained that his group was able to return to the country because they agreed to leave their ship without seeking payment from the company. Those who were still holed up chose to demand their salaries from the month of July, when their ship was first detained by the Nigerian government.

“I just hope that they, too, could return home,” said Mueva, 26, a father of two.

He said life inside their ship was difficult as they always ran out of food and water.

“We only get our supplies either from our company or from the government of Nigeria. And this happens not on a regular basis and that was why there were times that we had nothing to eat,” Mueva, who was a deck officer, said.

They ended up drinking rain water sometimes, he added.

Mueva said that he was happy that after three months of being held “hostage” inside their ship, he was finally home to see his parents and family.

Mueva said that despite his harrowing experience, he was still looking forward to working abroad.

He said he left the country in July 2007, with a monthly income of over P60,000. Alberto Peñaflor of the regional Philippine Overseas Employment Agency office meanwhile said he would look into the case of the stranded seafarers and assured they were ready to extend all the necessary support especially to the two who came from the region. –Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas