Manila: Four Filipinos were among the six crewmen of a Danish ship seized by pirates off the coast of Oman last January 12, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported.
The Danish-flagged Leopard was sailing close the coast of Oman in the Gulf of Aden last January 12 when a group of Somali pirates boarded the vessel and seized its crew.
Reports said that a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) anti-piracy patrol later found the 2,000 ton Leopard abandoned but its crew six were all missing.
Aside from the Filipinos, the two other crew of the Leopard are Danish.
The report on the missing seafarers was confirmed by the local manning agency that deployed the seafarers to the ill-fated ship.
"The local manning agency has apprised the families of the seafarers about the incident," the DFA said.
It had been reported that the Leopard was carrying weapons to an undisclosed destination when it was boarded by the pirates.
According to the DFA, the latest high seas attack brings to 113 the number of Filipinos onboard vessels seized by pirates.
"The Philippine government has undertaken measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to piracy attacks, including making arrangements with ship principals and manning agencies for vessels to travel along a safety corridor which is patrolled by friendly foreign navies, and taking up the issue of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean before the United Nations and other international organisations," the DFA said.
The Philippine government also deployed last year a naval liaison officer with the Combined Maritime Fleet in Manama, Bahrain, which coordinates the naval patrols.
The DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) closely coordinate with the concerned Philippine Embassies, the ships' principals and the local manning agencies in efforts to secure the early and safe release of the seafarers.
