Iran released 1 of 18 Filipinos aboard seized oil tanker —DFA

One of the 18 Filipino seafarers onboard the oil tanker seized by Iranian authorities in the Gulf of Oman last month has been released, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.

“Siya po ay ordinary seaman. Nakauwi na rin po noong February 4 (He was an ordinary seaman. He went home on February 4),” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

“Ang nangyari po kasi kaya siya pinalaya kasi siya lang iyong kaisa-isa sa 18 na hindi tumanggap ng double salary,” De Vega added.

(He was released because he was the only one of the 18 who did not receive double salary.)

De Vega said the crew of the seized oil tanker are being treated as normal personnel and not as hostages. To maintain the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker St. Nikolas, which is now in Iran, De Vega said double salaries are offered to the seafarers.

According to the DFA official, the contracts of 10 Filipino seafarers in the seized oil tanker will expire soon and they are expected to go back to the Philippines.

Philippine authorities are suggesting to the concerned agency to look for their replacement, preferably non-Filipinos.

On January 11, Iran seized 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." —KBK, GMA Integrated News