DFA: Pinoys on stricken Italian ship expected home within week

The 296 Filipino crewmen aboard a cruise ship that ran aground off Italy last weekend are expected to arrive home any time this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.   In an interview over radio dzBB, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said, "This week we will be able to see the arrival of the Filipinos."  He also said they expect no legal obstacle to the repatriation of the Filipinos from the M/V Costa Concordia.   The crewmembers who lost their passports will be given travel documents free of charge, he said.   On Monday, the DFA said the owner of the stricken ship had assured it will provide full compensation to the Filipino crewmen, refund their lost belongings, replace their lost cash, and issue a formal letter detailing the company's commitment to its employees.   The DFA said the owner also provided the official list of the Filipino crewmen to the Philippine Embassy in Rome's Emergency Response Team.   Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to Rome Virgilio Reyes Jr. dispatched a seven-member Embassy Emergency Response Team, led by Consul General Grace Fabella, to provide the necessary assistance to Filipino nationals and crewmen aboard the ill-fated ship.   A nerve center for operations was activated by the Embassy in Rome to coordinate actions of the response team and the feedback of the Costa Concordia officials and relevant managing agencies. - VVP, GMA News