A June 14, 2011 press release by the Department of Foreign Affairs
The Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affars (DFA-OUMWA) reported that the MT Zirku, with a Filipino seafarer onboard, was released from captivity by Somali pirates on June 10.
A United Arab Emirates-flagged and Arab-owned crude carrier, the vessel was hijacked on March 28 approximately 250 nautical miles South East of Salalah, Oman.
The vessel has a total of 29 crewmembers of mixed nationalities.
Captain Gaudencio Collado, Armed Forces of the Philippines Liaison Officer to the Combined Maritime Forces, and the vessel’s local manning agency reported to the DFA that all crew members are in good condition.
The vessel is now sailing to Salalah in Oman, and arrangements for the repatriation of the Filipino seafarer to Manila are being made.
To date, there are 78 Filipino seafarers on board eight vessels still in captivity by Somali pirates.
The Philippine government has undertaken measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to piracy attacks, including making arrangements with ship principals and manning agencies for vessels to travel along a safety corridor and to adopt best management practices as a deterrence to piracy attacks.
It has likewise taken up the issue of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean before the United Nations and other international organizations. The Philippines is a member of the intergovernmental Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS).
The DFA-OUMWA continues to coordinate closely with the concerned Philippine Embassies, the vessels’ principals and the local manning agencies for the early and safe release of the other Filipino seafarers.
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