MikeLigalig.com

By Veronica Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Nine more Filipino seamen have been kidnapped off Africa and became victims of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Saturday.

This brings to 54 the total number of Filipino seamen who are held in captivity by suspected pirates who operate in the seawaters off Somalia, DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal said.

In a text message coursed Cristobal, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said the nine were part of the 13-man crew of the German-owned, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged freighter M/T BBC Trinidad that was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates August 21.

The confirmation of this latest incident, Conejos said, came from both the Philippine embassy in Nairobi and the local manning agency.

The DFA thus issued the standard instructions to the Philippines embassies in Berlin and Nairobi “to coordinate with the ship owner, the international maritime authorities, and the host governments on efforts to secure the safe and speedy release of the crewmembers.”

Aside from this new incident of kidnapping, there were 10 Filipino crewmembers from MT Bunga Melati 2 hijacked on August 19, 15 (not 16 as earlier reported by Mombasa-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program) from MT Irene seized August 21, and 20 other Filipino seafarers from MV Stella Maris, July 27.

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