MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Another Greek vessel with 19 crewmembers, 17 of them Filipinos, was hijacked by pirates off Somalia on Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said there was still no information on the condition of the crew, which includes one Chinese and one Ukranian, of the freighter MV Capt. Stephanos.
The latest maritime hijacking off the African country brings to 96 the number of Filipino seafarers -- on eight ships -- held hostage by Somali pirates. One Filipino was killed during the hijacking of the MT Bunga Melati on August 19, when he was hit as the pirates fired warning shots.
The Captain Stephanos, flying the Bahamas flag, belongs to the ChartWorld Shipping Corporation, and was carrying a cargo of coal when seized about 250 nautical miles off Somalia.
It was the second attack on Greek shipping in less than a week.
Last Thursday, the Greek-owned, Maltese-flagged freighter MT Centauri, with an all-Filipino crew of 26, was attacked off Somalia by pirates riding a speed boat and armed with rocket launchers.
Cristobal admitted that the situation is "tumitindi [worsening]" and "nakakabahala [alarming]," noting that France has already raised the issue of increased piracy in the region before the United Nations General Assembly.
Some 20,000 ships pass by Somali waters every year.
Cristobal also said the pirates have also shifted the area where they attack, as the last two were carried out on the eastern portion of Somalia facing the Indian Ocean.
"Before they attacked ships on the Gulf of Aden, north of Somalia," he said.
Vice President Noli de Castro, presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), said the government should issue directives to local manning agencies to avoid placements on ships that need to pass near Somali waters.
De Castro said there is a need to keep away at least 200 nautical miles off the waters of the African country.
"Pirates are likely to attack ships that pass near the territorial waters of Somalia, as shown by the case of the German ship which was intercepted by armed Somali pirates last August 21," he said.
The crew of that ship, including nine Filipinos, was held hostage and released on September 11. The Filipinos have since returned home.
De Castro also said the government must support proposals from other nations for ships to sail in convoy when passing near Somalia.
He said the government was backing a resolution passed by the United Nations (UN) Security Council two months ago which directs ships to travel within the safe zone based on the coordinates provided by the united forces of US, Europe, Canada, Pakistan and other countries.
The resolution calls for coalition forces to intensify security in areas where pirate attacks occur.
On the proposal of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to ban Filipino seamen from boarding ships that will pass by these waters, Conejos said this has been discussed with the Department of Labor and Employment.
He said all parties agreed that the proposal would be difficult to implement as there as so many Filipino seamen who are mobile.
But it is still under consideration.
The other ships still in the hands of the pirates are Stella Marris, seized on July 20 (20 Filipinos); MT Bunga Melati, August 19 (10 Filipinos, one died during the attack); MT Irene, August 21 (15); MV Trinidad, August 21 (9, all released); Iran Deyanat, August 21 (2); MT Bunga Melati V, August 29 (5); MT Bunga Melati V, September 14 (2); MT Stolt, September 14 (2).
The waters off Somalia -- which has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity -- are considered to be among the most dangerous in the world.
According to the International Maritime Board, 56 ships have been attacked off Somalia since January and 11 are still being held for ransom.
