Somalia: Pinoy seamen held hostage by pirates

Somalia Pirates: 19 filipinos still captive -

Just posting a few links for those tracking this story of 19 crewmen in somolia - if I am not moistaken the report was - denied by the DFA.


[]... “There is no report of this hijacking incident,” saidPhilippine charge d'affaires to Nairobi Bernadette Muller, citing her conversation with Joe Gordon, chief security adviser of the United Nations Field Security Coordination Office in Somalia.THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday belied reports that heavily armed pirates hijacked a United Arab Emirates-registered oil tanker carrying 19 Filipino crew members off the coast of Somalia. ...[] INQ7 report


[]... DFA belies hijack report of UAE tanker off Somalia - INQ7.netIn Malacañang, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed the DFA to look ... Since March 15 last year, pirates have hit 40 ships off Somalia but many ...
news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=71632 - 44k ... []

So then why is there a palace press release on this mater? looks like some government agencies aren't talking ... perhaps?

[]... Kin of kidnapped Pinoy seamen appeal to Arroyo
The wives of 19 Filipino seamen who were kidnapped by Somali pirates last March appealed Thursday to President Arroyo for help in securing the release of their husbands.... abs-cbnNEWS.com []

More background:

[]... Banadir.comSOMALIA : Philipines to seek help in hostage negotiations Manila, Philipines ... Somali pirates demand $400 000 for release of ship Mogadishu, Somalia ...[]

[]... NAIROBI, Kenya - Pirates have seized a gas oil tanker and possibly another ship carrying food to Somalia in the latest of a series of hijackings off the lawless Horn of Africa nation, maritime officials said on Monday. “They say two more ships have been hijacked, we are still trying to know where in Somalia they were seized,” said Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenyan branch of the global Seafarers organization representing the maritime industry. ...[] MSNBC