There is a glimmer of hope in the case of the eight detained Filipino seafarers in Algeria, as the Manila consultant of the Greece-based manning agency said the examining judge has spotted loopholes in the report submitted by the Algerian police.

"There's a fighting chance that our seamen will not be charged because of the discrepancies spotted by the presiding investigators. Some data had loopholes. We are hoping and praying that they will not be charged so they can return home to their families," said Capt. Edgardo Flores, consultant of the Eastern Mediterranean Manning Agency in Manila.

He said the eight seafarers, who were jailed without charges, have been allowed access to their company's legal team.

"We discovered that they are not in one detention cell. They are placed in three cells. They are now also allowed to receive food, water, and clothing. They are also allowed to receive letters from their families, but, unfortunately, they cannot reply to them," he said.

Flores said their petition for house arrest remains.

He thanked the DAILY TRIBUNE's digital show, Usapang OFW, for exposing the dire condition of the seafarers who had been detained since July in Algiers, which prompted the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to take action.

"Right after I aired our plea in the program, DMW OIC Hans Cacdac called me to say they would help us. If these were not aired in the media, help would have been long coming," Flores said.

The eight seamen were arrested on 28 July after Algiers port authorities discovered 35.8 kilos of suspected cocaine aboard the Malta-flagged container vessel Harris they were crewing.