Mariners still wary about security in Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Safety concern remains over attacks on shipping to abduct seafarers in Southern Philippines, although there have been no reported incidents since April last year.

According to the Seatrade Maritime News citing a report by the anti-piracy body RECAAP Information Sharing Center, said the situation in the Sulu - Celebes Sea area remains a cause for concern.

It said between March 2016 and April 2017 attacks on merchant ships in the southern Philippines resulted in the abductions of 59 seafarers from 13 vessels in the troubled, but mineral-rich region. While there have been no actual or attempted attacks in the area since April, Masafumi Kuroki, executive director of RECAAP, said “the concern and threat is not yet eliminated.”

Kuroki said the three littoral states - the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia - had made efforts with coordinated patrols and Manila was making a lot of progress on the issue.

“But still I think that the perpetrators who conducted this abduction of crew, the Abu Sayyaf group are still there. They are not completely eliminated so there is still the potential that the Abu Sayyaf group make conduct other similar types of attacks against ships so I think more needs to be done by the Philippines authorities and the regional states to make sure for the shipping industry this area in the Sulu Celebes sea particularly for ship passage is safe for navigation for merchant ships,” he explained.

The first four months of 2017 saw three actual abduction incidents from the Fishing Bianca, Giang Hai and Super Shuttle Tug 1, and four attempted attacks against the Ocean Kingdom, Donghae Star, Phu An 268 and the Dona Annabel. Some nine seafarers continue to be held hostage. The Filipino government has extended martial law in the province of Mindanao, which has seen fierce fighting with insurgents, until December 31, 2018, Seatrade Maritime News said.

It said RECAAP continues to advise shipping to reroute from the area if possible. “Of course it is up to the shipping industry whether they reroute or not,” it said, quoting Kuroki, adding, RECAAP also remains concerns about the hijacking of small tankers to steal oil cargoes, with such hijackings in the Asian region.

The Philippine military’s Western Mindanao Command with task forces in Basilan, Sulu and Tawitawi island-provinces, all in the Muslim autonomous region, said navy and the army, including the air force, have been guarding the seas in the area to ensure the safety of mariners.

It said the operations against the Abu Sayyaf were also continuing in Mindanao, including Basilan, Sulu and Tawitawi which are all under martial rule.