Kidnapped Pinoy seafarers’ rise to 110
By Michaela P. del Callar 11/02/2010The total number of Filipino sailors taken hostage by ransom-seeking pirates off Somalia has climbed to 110.
Just last week, pirates seized 30 Filipino seamen in two separate hijacking incidents on Oct. 23 and 30.
Those ships seized were the Singaporean oil tanker MV York with 14 Filipinos on board and the Liberian vessel, MV Polar, with 16 Filipino crewmen.
The Filipino captives are on board eight vessels off the Gulf of Aden: one aboard the MV Iceberg 1, 19 on the MV Samho Dream, 19 aboard the MV Eleni P, three aboard the FV Tai Yuan, 18 on the MT Motivator, 20 aboard the MV Izumi, 14 on MV York and 16 on MV Polar.
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. In the past, millions of dollars worth of ransom were believed to have been paid by shipowners to Somali pirates in exchange for the release of abducted sailors and hijacked vessels..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20101102hed3.html
0 comments
Post a Comment