Somali pirates seize ship with 18 Pinoys on board 07/06/2010

Somali pirates seize ship with 18 Pinoys on board

07/06/2010 Ransom-seeking Somali pirates have hijacked a Marshall-flagged chemical tanker with 18 Filipino crewmen on board, the European Union anti-piracy mission yesterday said. The MT Motivator came under small arms fire from a pirate attack in the northern Bab Al Mandeb area in the southern Red Sea Sunday morning.  “After notification of this attack, attempts were made to make contact with the Motivator but to no avail. The hijack was confirmed early on July 5,” the European Union Naval Force said in a statement. This latest hijacking incident brings to 83 the total number of Filipinos being held by pirates off Somalia. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila said it is confirming the incident. The Philippines is the world’s leading supplier of ship crew with over 350,000 sailors, or about a fifth of the world’s seafarers, manning oil tankers, luxury liners, and passenger vessels worldwide, exposing them to piracy attacks. As a policy, the Philippine government does not negotiate nor pay ransom to kidnappers, but gives ship owners the free hand in negotiating for the release of abducted Filipino sailors. ... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100706hed5.html

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