ON NEW SOMALI HIJACKING
October 16, 2008

Our Department of Foreign Affairs has announced the latest hijacking of M/T AFRICAN SANDERLING with 21 Filipino seamen on board. Our government, has already contacted the concerned manning agency in the Philippines . We are still awaiting further developments on the latest Somali piracy case.

Nonetheless, I want to reiterate our appeal to the international shipping companies to take extra precautionary measures and to strictly follow the directive to limit voyages to the "safe zone" or the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MPSA).

The coalition Navies, consisting of multinational naval forces of US, Britain , France among others, are patrolling and giving assistance to vessels passing the MPSA.

Aside from these warnings, our government has also implemented the double hazard pay scheme for those Filipino seamen who will be traversing the said risk zone. Likewise, Filipino seamen are given the option to disembark from the ship should they decide not to continue with the voyage because of the risks involved.

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