MANILA, Philippines – Sampo sa 18 Filipino crew members ng MV St. Nikolas ang dumating na sa Pilipinas, ayon sa
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Ang Marshall Islands-flagged MV St. Nikolas ay isang oil tanker na hinarang ng Iran navy sa Gulf of Oman noong Enero 11.
Ayon kay DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, nakatakdang umuwi rin ng bansa ang dalawa pang Filipino seafarer ngayong linggo.
“Of the 18 Filipino seafarers, one returned last February and nine arrived yesterday (Sunday, March 10) with an additional two arriving Wednesday. So that is 12. The remaining six will eventually be repatriated too,” ani de Vega.
“The key is that the manning agency is replacing them with foreign crewmen as per our strong request,” dagdag pa niya.
Kamakailan ay sinabi ng Department of Migrant Workers na lahat ng Filipino crew members na sakay ng MV St. Nikolas ay nasa maayos na kondisyon at nasa kustodiya ng Iranian government.
Iniulat ng IRNA news agency na hinarang ng Navy ng Islamic Republic of Iran “an American oil tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman in accordance with a court order.”
Ang pagharang at pagsisiyasat sa MV St. Nikolas ay ganti sa “violation committed by the Suez Rajan ship… and the theft of Iranian oil by the United States,” dagdag pa.
Kinondena naman ng Estados Unidos ang tinawag nitong “unlawful seizure” at sinabihan ang Iran na “immediately release the ship and its crew.”
Noong Enero, umapela si Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo kay Iran First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber na payagan ang ligtas na pagpapakawala sa mga Filipinong manlalayag na sakay ng oil tanker. RNT/JGC
