MANILA, Philippines – Five Filipino crew members of MV Naham 3 are set to come home Friday, October 28, nearly 5 years after their ship was hijacked by Somali pirates.
The Omani-flagged fishing vessel was seized by pirates in the southern part of Seychelles in March 2012, during the height of the region’s piracy scourge.
The Somali pirates freed 26 asian hostages, including the 5 Filipinos, on Saturday, October 22.
The distressed seafarers – Arnel Pregillana Balbero, Elmer Salvador Balbero, Ferdinand Jacinto Dalit, Akes Tininggal Edwas Jr, and Antonio Auxtero Libres Jr – are set to arrive at 4:30 pm on Friday via Emirates EK332.
They will be met by their families and representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
According to OWWA Officer-in-Charge Carmelina Velasquez, the seafarers will be accorded assistance by the OWWA Repatriation Team upon arrival at the airport and will be provided accommodation.
OWWA’s assistance to the repatriated Filipino seafarers will also include transportation to their respective hometowns, where they will also be recommended to undergo psycho-social counseling as part of their healing process.
“We imagine the nightmare that our kababayans went through all those times, so much so that we wish that they, together with their families, will be able to adjust and be back to their normal lives. We are thankful that they at last, are able to come home safely,” OIC Velasquez said.
The release of the crew from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam was negotiated by the Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP).
OBP said that pirates initially took 29 crew hostage, but one person died during the hijacking, and two more "succumbed to illness" during their captivity.
Shen Jui-chang, a Taiwanese who was among the hostages freed, told reporters that they were forced to eat mice, scorpions, and centipedes to survive.
"Every day was nerve-wracking, with the pirates pointing their AK-47 rifles at me 24 hours a day," he said. – Rappler.com