MikeLigalig.com

Twenty-three more Filipino seafarers were kidnapped by pirates in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia on November 10 (Manila time), bringing to 89 the number of Filipino seaman still held in the area, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The latest victims, aboard the chemical tanker “M/T Stolt Strength,” were reported by the Philippine embassy in Nairobi as unharmed, DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal said today. The tanker flies the Philippine flag. Nairobi is the nearest Philippine embassy to Somalia, which has a paralyzed government.

Still in Somalian hands are the Filipino crewmembers of “MT African Sanderling” (21 Filipinos), seized on Oct. 15; “MT Stolt Valor” (two Filipinos), seized on Sept. 15;; “MV Centauri” (26 Filipinos), seized Sept. 17; and the “MV Capt. Stephanos” (17 Filipinos), seized on Sept. 21.

As in previous cases of piracy and kidnapping, the DFA disclaims any payment of ransom, but it is widely believed that manning agencies and operators pay millions in dollars. - PNA