DFA sending legal aid to jailed seafarers

The Department of Foreign Affairs vowed to ensure the welfare and rights of eight Filipino seafarers currently imprisoned in Algiers, Algeria, despite no formal charges against them.

Algerian police have detained the eight seafarers since 28 July after 35.8 kilograms of alleged cocaine were discovered on board the Maltese-flagged container vessel "Harris" they were manning.

The vessel originated from a port in Valletta, Malta.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega admitted that the case of the eight seafarers was complicated, but the DMW would send legal help to them.

De Vega said representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli have already visited the Filipino seamen at the detention facility in Algiers. It was not known when the visit was.

In an earlier interview on DAILY TRIBUNE's digital show Usapang OFW, Capt. Spyridon Pierratos, marine personnel manager of the Greece-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd., said Philippine embassy officials in Libya were not allowed by Algerian authorities to see the seafarers.

De Vega said a team from the Embassy in Tripoli will again go to Algeria later this month for a jail visit and will try to coordinate with Algerian officials to be given access to the Filipino detainees. They will also send private lawyers, although the seafarers' agency has already provided two lawyers from their end.

The DMW's Migrant Workers Office in Rabat, Morocco, De Vega said, attempted to visit the detainees early this month but did not say if they were able to see them.

De Vega said, "The case has a lot of complications. Due to the change of judge, the new one will have to review the previous orders of the judge who denied the request for bail or house arrest for the Filipinos."

"The case is still under preliminary investigation, and no formal charges have been filed against the eight seafarers," he added.

Pierratos previously sought the help of the DFA and the DMW to intervene and make arrangements to place the crew under house arrest as the situation in the Algerian prison could be dangerous for them.

"This is tragic, they are living in cells together with 60 other prisoners who are probably criminals. There have been no charges filed against them, so they are not criminals, they are just suspects. But until now, the Algerian authorities are saying that the case is still under investigation.

"It has been four months, and the situation is terrible. They do not have food or clothes in the prison. We might lose a seafarer if they decide to commit suicide because of the dire situation. We are fighting for their human rights now," Pierratos said.

DMW's action

Meanwhile, Capt. Edgardo Flores, consultant of Manila-based Eastern Mediterranean Manning Agency, on Thursday said DWM Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary for Welfare and Foreign Employment Hans Leo Cacdac has made an online appointment to talk to the families of the eight seafarers.

"Another Zoom meeting is set for today (Friday) with Cacdac and the seafarer's families," Flores said.