Safety & Security

Filipino Engine cadet survives 1,000 days of captivity in pirate's hands..

Filipino Engine cadet survives 1,000 days of captivity in pirate's hands..

                    This article tells you about the Filipino cadet being released from the hands of pirates of somalia...........

                   The Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) and its partners in the industry-wide coalition established to assist seafarers and their families with the humanitarian aspects of piracy incidents have welcomed the news of the release of the 22 crewmembers on the MV Iceberg 1 after 1,000 days in captivity in Somalia.

         We are greatly relieved to hear that they are safe after their terrible ordeal and to hear that they have all been able to return to their homes,said Mr. Peter Swift, Chairman of MPHRP.

         We are of course grateful to all those who have played a part in their rescue and are making the arrangements for their medical and other check-ups and their repatriation. Now we hope that both public and private organizations will work to ensure that the released hostages, as well as their families, receive all the necessary support and assistance they will require both immediately and longer term as they recover from the trauma and deprivation that they have suffered since being kidnapped on 29 March 2010,he further stated.

          MV Iceberg 1, a roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessel with a deadweight of 4,500 tons, had a crew of 24 and was loaded with a mixed cargo of general mechanical equipment, was bound for Jebel Ali in the UAE when hijacked. The crewmembers were from Yemen, India, Ghana, Sudan, Pakistan and the Philippines.

         Among the crew was Filipino Engine Cadet Gerald Gonzales, 31 years old from Iloilo. He was just about to leave the vessel when it was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The owner of the Panama-flagged vessel Azal Shipping had abandoned the ship and the crew and had stopped negotiating with the pirates.

          In the interview days after his arrival, Cadet Gonzales recalled that the pirates started hurting the crew after the negotiations bogged down. May mga kasama kaming tinorture (Some of my fellow crewmembers were tortured after the negotiations stopped), he said.

        He was presented recently to members of the press by Mr. Roy Paul, Program Director of MPHRP.

At least three pirates were killed after they clashed with Putland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) near a coastal town in Putland after the rescue. The seafarers were caught in the crossfire as the pirates clashed with the Putland forces near the town of Garaad on the border of the Mudug and Nugal regions. Three pirates were arrested while nine others escaped.

Mr. Paul noted: The news of their release was a great Christmas and holiday present for the families of these seafarers. Many agencies including the DFA staff in Manila and the Philippine Ambassador in Kenya worked over the holidays to arrange the repatriation of Gerald back to the Philippines and we are grateful to them for their support.

He said: The seafarers including Gerald have had an horrific ordeal for the past 1,000 days and the MPHRP staff along with its industry and welfare partners are now trying to offer whatever support we can and we will now look at the national authorities and our network of responders to provide both immediate and on-going care. 

Mr. Swift, however, added: We must not forget that two of their colleagues died during the captivity and one of the Indian crew is missing.

Our thoughts are equally with the families of those who have not returned. Similarly, our thoughts and prayers are with the more than 140 seafarers and fishermen still held hostage on other ships and ashore in Somalia, and call on all parties to do all within their power to hasten their release and safe return.

Amongst the vessels still held as of January 15, 2013 are the Naham 3, a fishing vessel that was captured on March 26, 2012 with five Filipino crew, and the MT Smyrni, a crude tanker captured on May 10, 2012 with 14 Filipinos.

Also still held are four Filipinos from the MV Leopard which was captured two years ago on January 12, 2011. The remaining four crewmembers from the MV Free Goddess returned to Manila this month after they were released by pirates on the October 18, 2012, but were then held on the vessel in Oman while they negotiated for their due wages and repatriation with their manning agent Evic Human Resource Management, Inc. in Manila.

Mr. Rancho Villavicencio, the Philippine Director of MPHRP, said, ?We are here to assist any seafarers or their family members who have been affected by piracy. We have the support of a lot of agencies and our global partners to assist in any way we can.

Mr. Villavicencio added that his office is also assisting Cadet Gonzales in securing his back wages.  He said his crewing company recognized their obligations to the lone Filipino crewmember of the ill-fated MV Iceberg 1.

      Dear Mariners and readers each of us sail onboard ship for making money for our family....though all the countries and IMO take steps to reduce piracy.....still it happens.Atleast pray to god for that so that the things never happen in future....keep reading