18 Pinoy seafarers home soon from China – DMW

MANILA, Philippines — The 18 Filipino crew of the oil tanker seized in the Gulf of Oman are coming home soon, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is working on the immediate repatriation of the 18 Filipino crewmen of oil tanker St. Nikolas.

“We know that they are safe as of now. We are praying with the families of the crewmen of St. Nikolas that they get home as soon as possible,” Cacdac said in a radio interview.

The DMW previously reported that the crewmen of Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker St. Nikolas are safe and now in Iran.

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Phnom Penh has repatriated 27 Filipino nationals who were victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment in Cambodia.

The Filipino victims arrived in Cambodia on various dates, most of them came as tourists but with pre-arranged employment as either customer service representatives or interpreters in an unnamed company engaged in online scamming activities.

“Through the Embassy’s coordination with the Cambodian National Police, the 27 Filipino victims were rescued while they were in the process of being transferred to another online scamming facility,” the embassy said.

Prior to their flight, Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Maria Amelita Aquino visited the 27 Filipinos at Caritas Cambodia where they were temporarily sheltered while undergoing pre-departure clearance. The ambassador assured them of the Philippine government’s readiness to repatriate and assist them.

The Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the DFA provided the funds for their repatriation.

This is the largest group of repatriated victims of human trafficking in Cambodia, to date.

“The Philippine Embassy strongly advises our kababayan to be vigilant and cautious of dubious jobs offered through social media, and to engage only with licensed Philippine recruitment agencies to prevent falling victim to illegal recruitment and human trafficking schemes,” the embassy said. — Pia Lee-Brago