18 Pinoys in seized oil tanker to be released if replaced with another crew —DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said the 18 Filipinos of an oil tanker seized in the Gulf of Oman will be released if they are replaced with another crew.

“Ang gusto ng kompanya makahanap ng replacement sa kanilang 18 para palayain na sila (The company wants to have replacements for the 18 Filipino crewmen so they can be released),” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

De Vega said the Philippine government wants to replace the crew of the St. Nikolas, Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, with other nationalities.

He pointed out the 81,200-ton vessel, not the Filipino crew, was the subject of a legal case. According to the diplomat, the Filipinos are still detained there to help maintain the oil tanker.

“Ang isyu lang po bakit hindi pa sila pinapalaya, kasi hindi naman sila ang subject ng legal case doon iyong barko ang subject ng legal case, kasi po kailangan po may magpatakbo ng barko kahit naka-anchor sa port. Kung walang tripulante maaaring masira ang engine o kung ano-ano ang mangyari,” he said.

(The issue is why haven’t they been released, the ship the subject of the legal case, not the crew. They are needed to maintain the ship even if it is anchored in port. If there is no crew, something might happen to the engine or affect its seaworthiness.)

DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier asked the Iranian government to release the 18 Filipino crew.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Manalo said he made the request during his meeting with Mohammad Mokhber, 1st Vice President of Iran, on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement Summit 2024 in Uganda.

"We had a candid exchange on geopolitical issues and the safety & welfare of PH seafarers. We also noted the potential to grow PH-Iran trade relations," Manalo said.

"I likewise asked for the release of the 18 PH seafarers currently aboard the detained ST Nikolas, and requested that Iran continue to grant consular access to our Embassy in Tehran, and allow regular contact between the seafarers and their families back home," he said in his post.

On January 11, Iran seized the St. Nikolas while it was carrying 145,000 tons of oil from Iraq to Turkey. 

Iran said it was retaliating for the "theft" of its oil from the same tanker — which at the time was called the Suez Rajan — last year by the United States.

Washington has condemned what it claims is an "unlawful seizure" and demanded that Iran "immediately release the ship and its crew."—RF, GMA Integrated News