VP NOLI TO HASTEN PAYMENT OF FINE FOR 13 JAILED OFWS IN NIGERIA
February 23, 2009

VICE President and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro vowed to hasten the payment of fine for the immediate release of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were jailed in Nigeria for stealing oil.

De Castro said he already asked SEAGEM, the local manning agency that contracted the 13 Filipino seamen, to come up with the fine required by the Nigerian court to facilitate their immediate release. Reports from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Nigerian court is asking for a fine of $6,500 for each imprisoned OFW or a total of $84,500 for the entire group.

The DFA said the seafarers are going to languish in jail for five years if the fines set by the Nigerian court are not paid.

Presently, Corinthian City, the foreign principal of the seafarers, has not yet made any payment.

De Castro expressed disappointment over SEAGEM since the conviction of the 13 Filipino seamen in Nigeria is the second incident that involved the local manning agency.

Earlier, nine Filipino OFWs contracted by SEAGEM were stranded in Nigeria after they were able to escape from armed pirates. Six of the seamen were immediately repatriated upon the intervention of the vice president while the other three are expected to be back in the country soon.

“SEAGEM is presently facing several complaints and it must cooperate with the investigation of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). And if found liable, proper sanctions should be imposed,” De Castro said.

In the meantime, De Castro pointed out that SEAGEM, despite that it is still under preventive suspension by POEA should cooperate with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) regarding the immediate payment of the fine by the foreign principal and the eventual repatriation of the OFWs.

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