18 Filipino seamen from Nigeria return to RP

All 18 Filipino seamen who survived a militant attack and a fire that gutted an oil tanker in Nigeria have returned to the Philippines. The second batch, composed of 12 seamen, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City before Sunday noon on board KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL 803. They are Elmer Temblor, Simeon Avilla, Edgar Ballesteros, Melchor Malana, Jozane Ponce, Ronald Padasas, Alfonso Zarate, Frankie Viacrucis, Nino Luengas, William Prosia, James Panaguiton, and Alvin Jovellano. Last Saturday night, the first six of the seamen returned to the country. They are Cesar Guadalupe, Tomas Sapial, Pancho Lagnutan, Nestor Barba, Richard Peniano, and Manuel Tapang. Representatives from recruitment agency SeaGem and overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) met the Filipino workers, who later on went to the OWWA office for the documentation of their return to the country. GMA’s Flash report quoted an OWWA official as saying that SeaGem assured that it would assist the seamen in processing their documents and their contracts. The television report said the repatriated seamen expressed eagerness to return to work in Nigeria despite the incident. On Wednesday, Esteban Conejos, undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, announced the repatriation of the seamen who survived the fire that hit M/T Keno last December 9 at Port Harcourt. Filipino seaman Vito Cruz died in the fire. The department said his remains would be repatriated next week. - with reports from AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV