Gov’t bucks rescue of Pinoys held by pirates in Somalia

By Michaela P. del Callar

04/14/2009

The Philippine government has ruled out rescue operations for the 98 Filipino seamen being held by pirates in Somalia amid calls for a forceful action against ransom-seeking Somali pirates by the global maritime industry.

A senior Foreign Affairs official, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said a rescue try is “not necessary at this point as it would endanger the lives of the Filipino sailors.”

The official said a military action would be “very dangerous” and “difficult” since the Filipinos are already under the control and custody of the kidnappers.

“You can launch a military action before the hostage taking. But once they are in the custody of the pirates it would be very dangerous and difficult. We don’t want to risk the lives of our sailors,” the official said.

The Philippines does not have the capacity to launch a military offensive against the pirates, but could seek assistance from the United States, the official said.

On Easter Sunday, American ship captain Richard Phillips was freed after a daring rescue by US Navy Seals, ending a five-day standoff between a band of gunmen and the world’s most powerful military.

Phillips, 53, was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the US-flagged Maersk Alabama.

The hostage-taking spree in Somali waters have dragged on for several months, involving dozens of passing foreign vessels with hundreds of seafarers on board.

Until now, Manila is in a dilemma on how to provide safety for Filipino seafarers, who represent one-third of the world’s shipping manpower.

Manila says barring the Filipino sailors from going on ships that travel through known dangerous waters is difficult because they are highly mobile.

The ships that have been hijacked with Filipino crew members are the MT Stolt Strength (with 23 Filipinos aboard), the MV Saldanha (with 19 Filipinos), the MV Titan (with 17), the MT Nipayia (with 18), the Win Far 161 (17) and the MV Malaspina Castle (with four).

Piracy off the Somali coast has been a threat to international shipping since the beginning of Somalia’s civil war in the early 1990s.

Since 2005, many international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Food Program, have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy. Piracy has contributed to a rise in shipping costs and impeded the delivery of food aid shipments.

According to the Kenyan foreign minister, Somali pirates have received over US$150 million during the 12 months prior to November 2008.

On Oct. 7, 2008, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1838 calling on nations with vessels in the area to apply military force to repress the acts of piracy.

In November 2008, Somali pirates began hijacking ships well outside the Gulf of Aden, perhaps targeting ships headed for the port of Mombasa, Kenya.

The most infamous of their conquests was a crude tanker the size of three soccer fields which they seized at least 450 nautical miles from their homeland.

After negotiations, the pirates freed the Sirius Star, a Saudi-owned supertanker laden with crude oil, reportedly for a hefty ransom fee.

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