Charges vs 8 Pinoy seafarers sustained

A court in Algeria has denied all motions filed by eight Filipino seafarers detained in that country after drugs were allegedly found on their ship, the Maltese-flagged MV Harris, on 28 July last year.

Cocaine, weighing 35.8 kilos, was allegedly discovered among the cargo of the ship by authorities in the port of Algiers, leading to the Filipinos’ arrest.

Capt. Ioannis Gogos, the owner’s representative of the Eastern Mediterranean Manning Agency, told the DAILY TRIBUNE the Algerian indictment chamber rejected the Filipinos’ petition for bail and, failing that, house arrest.

Likewise, the court denied the respondents’ plea to drop the charges against them, Gogos said.

From the indictment chamber, “the matter will now be brought before a criminal court, and a trial is expected by early May or so,” he added.

Following the development, Gogos said they are again seeking the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Department of Migrant Workers “to get more involved in the case.”

The DFA, in interviews with DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Usapang OFW since November, had vowed to support the detained Filipino seafarers.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, however, on Monday said they were presently deferring to the DMW in its decisions and actions.

“These seafarers are under the coverage of the DMW as per the law,” De Vega said in a text message.

DMW Officer-in-Charge, Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, has yet to respond at press time to efforts by this paper to get his reaction to the development.

With JOM GARNER @tribunephl_jom