Algerian authorities persistently deny representatives of the Philippine Embassy in Libya to visit eight Filipino seafarers detained in Algiers since July without any charges filed.

Algerian police arrested the seafarers on 28 July after the discovery of 35.8 kilos of alleged cocaine on board the Maltese-flagged container vessel Harris that they were manning.

"They keep asking for some documents now known to me. Even our company representatives are not permitted to have access to our seafarers. We sent two captains, but they failed as Algerian authorities are not permitting them to visit our seafarers," said Capt. Spyridon Pierratos, marine personnel manager of the Greece-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd.

EMML is the mother company of Eastern Mediterranean Manning Agency-Philippines and employs the eight seafarers.

Pierratos said they had hired two lawyers, who were also refused access to the jailed seafarers.

"They reported to me that the government of Algiers still does not permit them to see our crew," he said.

He said that although the seafarers might face criminal cases, he assumed the eight Filipino crew members were victims of international drug traffickers.

"They are not drug dealers; they are poor guys who support their families. If they are drug dealers, then they should be rich, but they are not," he said.

Pierratos suggested that the Philippine government get involved and seek house arrest for the crew members, as the situation in the Algerian prison could be dangerous.

"This is tragic; they are living in cells together with 60 other prisoners who are probably criminals. No charges have been filed against them, so they are not criminals; they are just suspects," according to the Greek official.

He said the banned substance could have been placed in the ship by other people who had access to it when it docked at the Algiers port.

The vessel left Valletta, Malta in July 2023.

"We believe that drug traffickers were involved and not our seafarers as well as our company. We are not drug dealers and traffickers. We are a family company that has been managing vessels plying international routes. This is not happening only on our ships but to others worldwide," he said.

He said they are trying to arrange a house arrest for the crew and have already approached the International Transport Federation, which deals with international seafarers involved in international disputes.

"But up to now, the Algerian authorities say the case is still under investigation. It has been four months. The situation is terrible. They do not have food or clothes in the prison. Maybe we will lose a seafarer if they decide to commit suicide because of the dire situation. We are fighting for their human rights now," Pierratos said.

He said his company has sought help from the Philippine Labor Office in Greece and sent a letter to the Department of Migrant Workers, but they have not yet received assurances of help.

"The only development is that the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli tried communicating with our lawyers, and these embassy officials are still waiting for the decision of the Algerian authorities to grant permission to have access with our seafarers," Pierratos said. 

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Arnel Ignacio said they would forward the case to the Department of Migrant Workers.

Not the first time

This was not the first time that Filipino crew of the Eastern Mediterranean Manning Agency was involved in a drug case. Earlier, 11 of their seafarers were arrested on allegations of the unlawful importation of 13.65 kilos of cocaine into Nigeria in November 2021.

The contraband was discovered by Nigerian police on board their vessel, the MV Karteria, at the GDNL Terminal Apapa Port in Lagos.

But the 11 were ordered freed last 17 July by the Federal High Court in Lagos, as the prosecution and the Nigerian Drug Agency failed to produce substantial evidence to implicate the defendants in the crime.

The 11 seafarers were repatriated to the Philippines on 8 August.

"The case of these eight seafarers in Algeria is totally different from Nigeria, as we don't have an embassy in Algeria. The only nearest embassy we have is in Tripoli, Libya," Pierratos said.