21 RP seamen held by Somali pirates

MANILA, Philippines -- The Manila Economic and Cultural Office is working closely with its Taiwan counterpart to secure the release of 17 Filipino seamen who, along with 13 other people, manned a Taiwanese fishing boat hijacked by Somali pirates near the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean.

MECO Chair Tomas I. Alcantara said in a press statement the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) called Thursday seeking the Philippine government's assistance in obtaining the release of the 30-man crew of the Win Far 161, a tuna fishing vessel home-ported in Kaohsiung.

The 30-man crew included 17 Filipino seafarers, six Indonesians, five from China, and two from Taiwan.

Somali pirates seized the ship last Monday, on the same day they hijacked a British-owned vessel, the MV Malaspina Castle ,with four Filipino seamen on board.

MECO was submitting a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs so it could make a stronger representation with the Somali government to ensure the crewmen's safety, said Alcantara.

Earlier, the China Post reported that Taiwan was also asking the assistance of the British and American governments to help secure the seamen's release.

The China Post quoted Henry Chen, spokesman of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying there were no reports of any casualties in the hijacking.

Alcantara instructed the MECO office in Taiwan to immediately coordinate with Taiwan authorities to confirm the names of the abducted Filipinos and check on their status.

“Our priority is to check on their current status and work with the DFA so that our compatriots are brought back safe and unharmed," Alcantara said.

In November last year, a Chinese fishing boat with a 24-man crew, including three Filipinos, was also seized by Somali pirates. They were released unharmed after the reported payment of ransom.

The Office of the Undersecretary of Migrants’ Workers Affairs at the DFA reported that both Win Far 161 and MV Malaspina Castle were captured by pirates off Seychelles and Madagascar, respectively, last April 6.

The DFA said the local manning agency of MV Malaspina Castle was already working on the release of the vessel and its Filipino crew. The families of the Filipino seafarers have already been informed of the hijacking, it said.

Meanwhile, the local manning agency of Win Far 161 was verifying information from its principal.

The number of Filipino seafarers in captivity now total 117, involving seven vessels.

Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr., said the government was coordinating closely with the concerned foreign government authorities and the local manning agencies of the captured vessels for the early and safe release of the Filipino seafarers. - Cynthia Balana, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2009