Somali pirates seize ship with 19 Pinoy crewmen

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates on Wednesday seized a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 22 crew members on board, the European Union Naval Force said. Naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour said that there are three Greeks and 19 Filipinos among the crew of the Greek-owned Filitsa. The ship is registered in the Marshall Islands. A press release by the EU said the ship was taken 400 miles (640 kilometers) northeast of the island nation of the Seychelles. It had been heading for the South African port of Durban but has now turned around and is heading north. Pirates have increased their attacks since the end of the monsoon season last month. They are now holding at least 12 ships and more than 200 hostages. Three ships have been seized in the last week alone. [See list of hijacked ships with Filipino crew members here: Somali pirates abduct 16 RP seamen in one week] Pirates can often command multimillion-dollar ransoms for the release of the vessels they capture, a fortune in impoverished Somalia. The failed state has not had a functioning government for a generation and its lawless coastline provides a perfect pirate haven. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ed Malaya confirmed to GMANews.TV the abduction of the Filipino seafarers, and assured that the Philippine government has already coordinated with the ship owners for the immediate and safe release of the crew. Malaya said the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, which has jurisdiction over pirate-ridden Somalia, is closely monitoring the latest abduction. “We have also coordinated with the Philippine Embassy in Greece to contact the ship owners and facilitate the release of the seafarers," Malaya said. - Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV with an AP report