PHL working for safe release of 7 abducted Pinoy sailors in Nigeria

The Philippine government is now coordinating with Nigerian and Swiss authorities regarding the abduction of seven Filipino seamen abducted by suspected pirates off Nigeria.

The seven were among the 12 crew members of a Swiss merchant that were taken by gunmen while on its way from Lagos to Port Harcourt last Saturday.

"The Philippine Embassies in Abuja and Berne are making the necessary coordination with concerned authorities in Nigeria and Switzerland to get additional information on the condition and whereabouts of the seven Filipino crew members of the MV Glarus," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

Ambassador to Nigeria Shirley Ho Vicario said five other Filipinos and two foreign nationals were left on board the vessel but it was not immediately clear why they were not taken.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has directed the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs to notify and extend the necessary assistance to the families in the Philippines of the seven abducted Filipino seafarers.

Piracy and ransom kidnappings of Filipino sailors have long been a problem for the Philippine government as it lacks the capacity to monitor their movements when at sea.

The global shipping industry, which carries 80 percent of international trade, employs about 1.2 million seafarers, the bulk of whom come from the Philippines.

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.  —Rie Takumi and Michaela del Callar/KBK, GMA News