DFA assists Pinoys held captive by Somali pirates

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday it will continue to provide assistance to Filipino seafarers currently held captive by Somali pirates as it reiterated its call against high-seas kidnapping.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs department said that one of its offices, the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) is closely coordinating with Philippine embassies in the countries where the seafarers were taken.

It added that it is also talking with manning agencies to get updates on the negotiations between the pirates and the ships’ principals, promising to “to ensure the safety and well-being of the seafarers.”

“The DFA-OUMWA also ensures that the manning [agencies to] continue [paying] the salaries and other financial benefits of the seafarers to their families here. They also meet with [them] to update them on the condition” of their kidnapped loved ones, the statement said.

The Foreign Affairs department, however, maintained that the Philippine government does not negotiate in cases of high-seas piracy.

The Philippine government has earlier dispatched an Armed Forces liaison officer “to work and coordinate with the Joint Naval Forces on anti-piracy efforts at the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.”

Although no incident of Filipino seafarers being intentionally hurt by the pirates has been reported, around 542 seafarers working on 45 vessels have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden since 2006. Of the figure, 461 seafarers onboard 39 vessels have been released.

The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea, between Yemen and Somalia.

Somalia has no formal government after civil war broke out in 1991. A coalition government is now running the country, but its piracy problems still persist.

The statement also revealed that the Foreign Affairs department is pushing for the country’s membership into the United Nations (UN) Contact Group Against Piracy.

Carlos Sorreta, deputy permanent representative to the UN in New York and charge d’affaires, urged the UN Security Council last week for greater global cooperation in the fight against piracy.

He also welcomed the report of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, which contained proposals that seek to address this issue.

“To fight piracy, we believe that broader cooperation is the key and it is in this context that we welcome the report of the Secretary General. The security, protection and welfare of Filipino seafarers have always been [a] primary concern of the Philippine government—[a] concern which I am sure are shared by others with nationals serving on these ships,” he had said.

Sorreta also said that the fight against piracy must give importance on the lives of those in captivity.

“Many suffer prolonged captivity, some as long as ten months. It is a testimony to their courage, clear thinking and fortitude that they [still] survive. It is a tribute to their resilience and that of their families that many are able to return to sea,” he said, adding that the root cause of piracy in the Gulf of Adan is Somalia’s continued political unrest.

“Piracy is a grave threat to international security and we join others in citing the importance of addressing its roots causes through a comprehensive approach,” Sorreta said. –BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON, Manila Times