Philippines restrict seamen in pirate waters

Philippines restrict seamen in pirate waters    The government of the Philippines said Saturday its Department of Labor has issued a ban to its commercial ships against the travel to the Gulf of Aden or within 200 nautical miles or 300 kilometers from Somalia.
   The government is also advising ships carrying Filipino seafarers to follow the security cordon and travel with convoy formation and to abide by the advisories set forth by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
   Reports posted on the Web site of the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo quoted a government spokesman as saying ship owners and manning agencies are urged to follow these regulations or face sanctions.
   The country also said it is deploying naval liaison officers to work with U.S. fleet in rescuing RP seamen held hostage by pirates.
   Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said his government is “stepping up efforts for the release of 100 seamen still being held hostage by the Somali pirates, and we are closely working with the manning agencies and the ship owners who are in direct contact with the pirates.”
   On Monday the government defended itself from criticism from the Manila-based seafarers' group, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS), which said the ban would result in “lost opportunities for many Filipino seafarers.”
   Presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said while the government understands the concern of the UFS, it viewed the safety and security of the Filipino seamen as the top priority. More than 100 Filipinos are thought to be among the hostages on ships that have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia.
   Meanwhile, AFP reported a Belgian ship that sent a distress signal in pirate-infested waters off East Africa on Saturday has been seized, a spokesman for the Belgian government’s crisis management center said.
   Press reports said the 213-foot Pompei had accommodations for 19 seamen and two Belgians onboard. Other seafarers may be from the Netherlands, Croatia and the Philippines. The ship had first transmitted an alarm at 4:30 GMT.
   The specialized ship is used for installing rock protection on offshore pipelines or construction of underwater rock berms.