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MANILA, Philippines -- "They only want money." Thus said Captain Romulo Buhayang, spokesman of the 14 freed Filipino crew members of the Malaysian tankers Bunga Melati 2 and Bunga Melati 5, as he recounted their 41-day captivity in the hands of Somali pirates.
"I was the only one talking to the pirates. They said they only want money. They said they don't want to start a war," Buhayang said at a press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport shortly after their arrival from Malaysia.
The seamen were presented to the media by Vice President Noli De Castro, presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers, and officials of government agencies, the Malaysian shipping agency Misc Berhad, and its local manning counterpart, Parola Maritime Agency Corp., who welcomed them at the airport.
A seamen for 31 years, Buhayang, 52, said the pirates did not harm any of them and were, in fact, always talking to him.
"In the beginning, it was not so bad," Buhayang said, because they were consuming the ship's provisions such as food and drinks during the first 30 days of their captivity. But after 30 days, the pirates started to feed them rice only.
Life on the ship with their captors was difficult, Buhayang said. All doors of the ship were secured by heavily armed pirates and captives could not move around much.
Chief Engineer Benito Adecer said it was prayer that kept all of them moving and hoping for freedom. None of them broke down though.
Buhayang and Adecer were part of the nine Filipino crewmembers of the Bunga Melati 2, which was hijacked on August 19.
The other seamen were Ariel Obja-an., Rodolfo Buinanao Jr., Macario Pacione III, Ronan Maranan, Rading Maguan, Lee Andrew Sitjar, and Eleonor Madriga.
Another seaman, Jason Dumagat, died instantly during the attack when one of nine pirates who boarded their ship fired a warning shot when the ship failed to stop immediately.
Buhayang said the bullet hit the ceiling but half of it ricocheted and pierced the face of Dumagat, who was seated beside him.
Dumagat's remains were received by his relatives as well as government officials at the cargo section of the airport.
On the other hand, the Bunga Melati 5, which was seized by pirates days later, had five Filipino crew members. They were Eduardo Lasprillas, Aldrin Palomo, Manuel America Jr., Rhageb Salabao, and Ulyseise Maguslong.
At least 82 more Filipino seamen of six different ships are still in the hands of the pirates.
While the seamen were not sure if there was ransom paid in exchange for their release, a top Malaysian official of their shipping agency confirmed there was, and for both ships.
"My company, by policy, does not believe in ransom. But in this situation, unless there is a ransom, we would not be able to secure their release," said Captain Rajalingam Subramanian, vice president for fleet management services of Misc Berhad in Malaysia.
Subramanian, who accompanied the seamen on their way to the Philippines, however, refused to declare how much, in deference to the big number of the Filipino seamen still being held hostage.
Subramanian said his company, with the help of the Malaysian government, negotiated with the pirates for the safe release of the crew and the ships.
During the press conference, De Castro informed the seamen that during a meeting of the governing board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, they had agreed to declare the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden a high-risk zone.
As such, seamen would now have a choice to leave a ship if it passes through this route.
If they stay, they can claim a hazard pay equivalent to twice their actual pay. If they leave, they will each have to shoulder the $1,000 cost for repatriation to the Philippines.
Buhayang, Adecer, and the rest of the seamen said that despite what happened, they would still be willing to stay on the ship even if this would pass the Gulf of Aden.
"Ito ang pinili naming propesyon kaya handa po kaming harapin lahat (This is the profession we chose so we?re prepared to face anything)," Buhayang said.
Asked about the status of the seamen, Subramanian said they were now on vacation with pay and were free to go back to work afterwards.
Pirate attacks frequently occur in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, to the north of Somalia. Recently, pirates also have been targeting Indian Ocean waters off eastern Somalia.
International warships are patrolling the area and have created a special security corridor under a US-led initiative, but attacks have not abated.
