PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH FACILITATES REPATRIATION OF 22 DETAINED FILIPINO SEAFARERS 1134 times read
The Philippine Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh has successfully repatriated 22 Filipino seafarers who were detained at the southern Port City of Chittagong on 1 October 2008. The vessel, M/V Axis, arrived in Chittagong with an all-Filipino crew led by Master Roy C. Juarez.
The 22 Filipino seafarers were detained in a hotel with their passports and seaman’s books confiscated by the local agent of the owner of the Tuvalu-flagged vessel. The detention of the Filipino seafarers was brought about by an admiralty lawsuit filed in the Dhaka High Court Division on 30 September 2008 against the M/V Axis’ owner, CMS USA, by a German company, Intermare GMBH Ltd., allegedly for unpaid bills amounting to 11.6 million US Dollars.
The Philippine Embassy in Dhaka interceded on behalf of the detained Filipinos and demanded their immediate release and the return of their passports and seaman’s books. Ambassador Zenaida Tacorda-Rabago pointed out that the continued stay of the seafarers in Chittagong was tantamount to illegal detention and that their documents were the property of the Philippine Government. The documents were subsequently returned by the local agent and 21 of the seafarers were released. Captain Juarez remained in detention as he was included as a respondent in the case filed by Intermare Transport GMBH Ltd. against GMS USA. In coordination with the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila, and with the assistance of the seafarers’ manning agency in Manila, Inter-Orient Maritime Enterprise, Inc., the Embassy facilitated the return of the 21 Filipino seamen to Manila on 9 October 2008.
With assistance from the lawyer provided by Inter-Orient Maritime Enterprise, Inc., the Embassy facilitated the release of Captain Juarez and his travel from Chittagong to Dhaka in the afternoon of 10 October. Upon his arrival in Dhaka, Captain Juarez was issued a travel document. The Embassy secured a seat for him on a Singapore Airlines flight which left Dhaka for Manila in the evening of 10 October.
