Two more seafarers released by Somali pirates arrive home
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/18/2008 7:50 PM
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Two more Filipino seamen released by Somali pirates returned home Saturday.
Sergio Paloma, 44 and Reynaldo Uy, 30 were welcomed by their spouses upon their arrival in Manila via Qatar Air Flight 646.
The two were among the 30 crew of M/V Iran Deyanat hijacked by pirates in the Red Sea last August 29.
They said that pirates who were armed with AK-47s did not harm them during captivity.
The retuning Filipino seamen said however that somehow they understand why the pirates took them hostage as, they said, the pirates looked poor and hungry.
Paloma and Uy said they still plan to return to work because they have no other means to earn money.
On Thursday, freed 15 Filipino seafarers also arrived in Manila. They were personally welcomed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. at the airport.
Conejos said 20 other Filipino seamen of another ship released by Somali pirates, the M/V Stella Maris, would arrive Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, the foreign affairs department is now coordinating with the ship owner and the manning agent of 21 Filipino seamen on board the vessel M/V African Sanderling hijacked by Somali pirates on October 14. With reports from Atom Araullo, ABS-CBN News
