Number of RP captives in Somalia climbs to 120

(Updated 6:06 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - A Greek merchant ship with 22 Filipino sailors on board was hijacked, raising to 120 the total number of Filipino seafarers being held captive by Somali pirates since November 2008. QTV’s Balitanghali reported that the MV Irene was taken over by Somali pirates on Tuesday as it was crossing the Gulf of Aden, a noted piracy hotspot. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the ship's local manning agency assured them that the Filipino seafarers are unharmed and that "the principal is exerting efforts for the early release of the vessel and its crew." "The Philippine Government continues to coordinate closely with concerned foreign authorities and the local manning agencies of the hijacked vessels to secure the early and safe release of the Filipino seafarers," the DFA statement read. Online reports said the 35,000-ton merchant ship is Greek-owned and flagged in Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines. Tuesday’s hijacking is reportedly the ninth that occurred in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean since the start of the month. MV Irene is the 7th vessel with predominantly Filipino crew members hijacked since Nov. 10. [See sidebar for complete list of hijacked ships with Filipino seafarers] Spouses of Filipino seafarers onboard the MT Stolt Strength have broken their silence on Tuesday afternoon and demanded that the Philippine government step up its action to help free their husbands. MT Stolt Strength has been anchored in Somalia for six months now. “Can’t they just free our husbands?" one of the wives told reporters, referring to the Somali pirates. The delay in the release of Filipino seafarers seems to be a norm under the current policies of the Philippine government, according to Milton Unso, president of the Mariners Association for Regional and International Networking Organization (Marino). “Our government has no teeth. It has no capacity to extract the Filipino seamen; it only resorts to diplomatic means," Unso said. The DFA has always maintained that it does not directly talk with kidnappers as the government keeps a ‘no-ransom policy’ in these situations. The number of Filipino seafarers being held hostage in Somalia have constantly yo-yoed — from 44 at the start of the year to 108 last month — as pirates continuously hijack ships passing through the Gulf of Aden, slowly releasing vessels only after ship owners willingly pay multi-million dollar ransom. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV