10 kidnapped Filipinos in Gulf of Guinea released

MANILA – The 10 Filipino seafarers who were kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea have been released on April 11 and are set to arrive home on April 19, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The seafarers are part of the 15 crew members abducted from the chemical tanker Davide B after nine armed intruders boarded the vessel while off the coast of Benin last March 11, 2021.

Six other Filipino crew members who were spared from the kidnapping were repatriated safely on April 3, 2021, the DFA said.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs extends its gratitude to the Dutch owners and the local manning agency Elburg Shipmanagement Phil’s., Inc. for the prompt and safe release of the seafarers, as well as their immediate repatriation,” it said.

The chemical tanker’s ship manager De Poli Ship management said the victims have already contacted their families.

“All crew members are in a relatively good condition given the difficult circumstances they have been under in the last four weeks. They will be receiving medical checks and are being repatriated to their home countries as soon as possible,” it said in an April 15 statement.

“The past weeks have been an extremely difficult period for everyone, in particular for our 15 seafarers and their families. We admire our crew members for their courage during this period and like to thank their families for their patience and resilience during a time of great uncertainty,” Chiara de Poli, CEO of De Poli Ship management said.