Families and friends of Filipino seafarers have appealed to the Philippine government, the United Nations, the African Union, and other international organizations, to intervene for the immediate release of 22 Filipino hostages being held captive in Somalia for almost six months now, the longest hostage crisis in history. The United States military earlier assured that the 22 Filipino seamen whose ship MV Irene was captured by armed Somali pirates off the Gulf of Aden remain alive but the exact health condition of the crew, whose captain complained last week they have no more food and water, could not be ascertained. “I hope my son comes out alive of this hostage situation,” said Erlinda Casas, a 68-year-old retired government employee. “This is a tragic incident and no family should suffer the same. The Philippine government should lead the fight against international sea piracy, after all, one-third of merchant sailors around the world are from the country. These men and women need the protection of their government especially in times of adversity.” The family of MV Irene's captain, Necitas Garcia, is also appealing for the international community's intervention. Garcia's 21-year-old nephew is also among the hostages. The Necitas family of Tanauan, Batangas, a province about 55 km. south of Manila, said the captain, who is already in his mid-50s, is supposed to be married for the first time had MV Irene went home as scheduled last month. He offered himself to the pirates in exchange for the safety of his crew. The other crew members are from the provinces of Iloilo, Lucena and Cebu. Some are also from Metro Manila. Wendy Doromal and other cause-oriented sympathizers of the hostages of the Somali pirates have setup a page on Facebook – Liberate Somali Pirate Hostages – dedicated to the plight of MV Irene and the growing problem on terror at sea. “I appeal to the public to join our grassroots effort in signing the petition and contacting officials to demand the release of the hostages of the MV Irene, E.M. and other pirated vessels,” said Doromal. The online petition to free the crew of the MV Irene can be accessed at http://www.petitiononline.com/mvirene/petition.html. The pirates are demanding $2.8 million and the shipping firm is having difficulty raising the money. Somalia spiraled into chaos after its last known government was overthrown in 1991. The country gained independence from Britain in 1960. About 700 Somalis attempt to cross Kenya every day to seek refuge in the Dadaab Refugee Camp. In 1992, the US sent USS Lummus in the country to feed hundreds of Somalis who were stricken by severe famine due to drought. Different rebel groups now run most of Somalia even though a transitional federal government was recently recognized by the United Nations. The International Maritime Bureau, a nonprofit organization helping fight sea piracy, said the number of ships attacked this year doubled. According to its latest report, a total of 78 vessels were boarded by pirates worldwide, 75 vessels fired upon and 31 vessels hijacked with some 561 crew taken hostage, 19 injured, seven kidnapped, six killed and eight missing. “As in the last quarterly report, the rise in overall numbers is due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Somalia, with 86 and 44 incidents reported respectively,” the report said. “The attackers were heavily armed with guns and knives in the majority of incidents. Violence against crew members continues to increase,” it added.
