Filipinos banned from Somali waters
Updated
The Philippines president, Gloria Arroyo, has ordered a ban on the deployment of Filipino seafarers on the ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden due to the increased attacks in the region off Somalia.
At the moment, almost half of the nearly 300 hostages held by Somali pirates are Filipinos. But the International Seafarers Action Center in Manila strongly opposes the ban.
Presenter: Lily Yan
Speaker: Joseph Entero, General Secretary of International Seafarers Action Center
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JOSEPH ENTERO, ISAC GENERAL SECRETARY: It is impossible to ban the seafarers here, to avoid such kind of vessels, because as we have said before they would rather die working at sea rather than die being hungry here in the Philippines. Besides, the ban will only promote illegal recruitment. They will still insist to board the vessel, but they will no longer pass through our government regulatory agencies.
LILY YAN, REPORTER: But I guess the government is under pressure from an organisation like you, to do something about it. What should they do to prevent more Filipino sailors becoming hostages?
JOSEPH ENTERO: We still believe that there is still lesser representation, in so far as the government is concerned, with the United Nations. It is only now that we are making noise on this that I think the government is starting to move. I think that is the easiest way for government to do away, or to get away with this dilemma that they are in. So, they just impose upon the seafarers not to be deployed and then get away with it.
LILY YAN: But the government said, the government understandd the seafarers' concern, but suggest that they do not risk their safety and look elsewhere for job opportunities. Do you think that's possible?
JOSEPH ENTERO: That is really impossible. Under our existing contracts, as the Secretary has said, there is no indication about the route of the vessels. So, once you get employed you do not know where you will be deployed - which country, or which port you are going to go.
LILY YAN: Unless they change the industry they work for completely. Is that possible?
JOSPEH ENTERO: That will be very devastating on the part of our economy because it would effectively stop deployment of our Filipino seafarers.
LILY YAN: How hard is it for those seafarers to find other jobs in the Philippines?
JOSEPH ENTERO: It is really, really very hard. If you just go here in the Philippines, thousands of applicants are lining up every day.
