Latest news with #Malta-flagged
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos urged to intervene for release of Pinoy seafarers jailed in Algeria
With only four months left before Algeria's Supreme Court hands down its verdict, the wives of three Filipino seafarers convicted of drug trafficking there appealed to President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to personally speak with the Algerian government and help bring their husbands home. At a press conference, the wives — who identified themselves only as Joy, Marie, and Rose — said their husbands were sentenced to 15 years in prison. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said the seafarers were among the eight Filipinos arrested in July 2023 after 35.8 kilos of cocaine were found on MV Harris, a Malta-flagged container ship. While all eight were initially convicted by a trial court, five were later acquitted by Algeria's Court of Appeals, leaving only three to face final judgment. The ruling of the Supreme Court is expected to be released in October 2025. The three are a 43-year-old Chief Officer, a 54-year-old Bosun, and a 29-year-old Ordinary Seaman. Joy said since the last chance to save their husbands is the Supreme Court, a government to government approach should be done. "Kung puwede may government to government approach or diplomatic process na puwede gawin (If government to government approach or diplomatic process is possible, they should do it)," she said. Marie, wife of the Bosun, tearfully appealed to the President for help. "Matanda na ako, 58 years old. Maawa po kayo President Marcos sana po matulungan ninyo kami sa aming mga daing at kahilingan. Please po President Bongbong Marcos," she said. (I am already old, 58 years old, please have pity with us, President Marcos, help us with our concerns and wishes.) The families clarified they have received support from the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs, including legal assistance and help with their March 2025 visit to Algeria to see their husbands. "May meeting kami kahapon (DMW, DFA). sabi nila they're committed sa kaso na 'to at hindi sila nagpapabaya. Nakikita naman namin nandyan sila to assist pero ang kailangan po namin ay urgency. Baka puwedeng makausap ng Pangulo 'yung government ng po namin aksyon talaga galing mismo sa Presidente. Umaaksyon po ang DMW at DFA, pero iba po talaga ang magagawa ng ating Pangulo," said Rose. (We had a meeting yesterday with DMW and DFA, they said they're committed to this case and they were not negligent. We really see that they are there to assist us but what we need is urgency. Maybe the President can talk with the government of need action from the President. DMW and DFA do their part but it is really different if it is the President.) Cacdac open to appeal Cacdac said he is open to personally appeal to the Algerian government the release of three Filipino seafarers, however, he stressed the need to consult first with the DFA. 'Kino-consider ko na rin na baka puwedeng ako ang magsagawa nung pag-apela. Pero ito'y ini-estima pa natin, tayo'y nakikipag-ugnayan pa sa Department of Foreign Affairs,' Cacdac said in an interview following a press conference held by the wives of the detained seafarers. (I am considering if I can make the appeal but I am still weighing it. We are coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding this.) The DMW chief stressed caution in determining the appropriate course of diplomatic intervention beyond the existing legal appeal: 'Dito sa aspeto ng intervention na hinihingi nila, again, we need to seek the advice of the DFA and also our lawyers, our legal counsel, whether or not this would be the appropriate intervention aside from the appeal to the Supreme Court,' he explained. Cacdac said President Marcos has instructed the DMW to assist the families since the start, but any diplomatic or high-level intervention would have to be carefully evaluated. 'Ang utos ni Presidente, tulungan 'yung mga pamilya, of course, since day one. At this stage, we just need to carefully assess the situation as to whether there will be interventions aside from the appeal sa Korte Suprema,' he explained. He said he was set to meet with the three wives later in the day to reassure them of continued government support. 'Magtatatlong taon na natin silang tinutulungan… Patuloy namin ibibigay ang aming taus-pusong assurance ng assistance at suporta (We have been assisting them for three years. We will continue to give them assistance and support),' he said. The DMW has already facilitated two visits to Algeria for the families. Cacdac said they are willing to assist again should the families wish to return. 'Sinamahan namin sila doon sa dalawang beses… sasamahan namin uli sila para i-assist sila sa pagdalaw sa piitan (We accompanied them during their will accompany them again should they visit again),' he said. Should the Supreme Court rule against the seafarers, Cacdac noted that clemency may be explored—but added that it is too early to discuss that option. 'Kapatawaran could be an option… pero hindi ko muna ibibigay yung option na 'yun at this stage kasi hihingi muna tayo ng kaukulang payo sa DFA, pending yung kaso na nasa Korte Suprema (Clemency could be an option but I would not float that this early because we are still seeking advice from the DFA as the case is still pending with the Supreme Court),' he said. Consular services extended The DFA, for its part, said it has been extending regular consular services to the previously eight and now, three Filipino seafarers detained in Algeria despite challenges in coordinating with authorities in the delivery of those services. "We are coordinating with the Greek shipping company, which has provided legal assistance from the beginning. We assisted by providing consular services (jail visitation) and visa assistance for the next of kin to visit detainees via our ATN Fund," it added in a statement. On the request for diplomatic intervention, it noted that the judicial proceedings have not yet been terminated and that the case is with the Algerian Supreme Court. "While we are exploring all options, the DFA deeply respects a sovereign state's internal processes, and diplomatic interventions should be explored judiciously," it said. It further said that since the case is still ongoing and there is no final and executory decision yet, it may be more prudent to just let the company-hired lawyers to continue to represent the three seafarers at court for now as what they had successfully did for the five others who were acquitted. "Any other course of action, such as back-channeling, may be misconstrued to be maneuvering tactics to rig Algeria's judicial system, or questioning its fairness and impartiality," it explained. The DFA said all options are being explored and the department remains committed to the welfare of all overseas Filipinos. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
MTV Lebanon
27-01-2025
- MTV Lebanon
Sweden intercepts Bulgarian ship over damaged Baltic cable
The Swedish coast guard seized a Bulgarian ship after a fibre-optic cable under the Baltic Sea linking Sweden to Latvia was damaged, officials said on Monday. Latvia sent a warship on Sunday to investigate the damage, while Swedish prosecutors opened an "aggravated sabotage" investigation. Nations around the Baltic Sea have scrambled to bolster defences after the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months, with some observers blaming Russia. The Swedish coast guard on Sunday instructed the Bulgarian ship Vezhen "to go into their territorial waters and it is now on anchor where an investigation... is ongoing," Alexander Kalchev, CEO of Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), the ship's operator, told AFP. Images of the vessel published by Swedish media appeared to show a broken arm on one of Vezhen's anchors. Kalchev denied involvement in any sabotage. "I am convinced that we cannot say... that this was a malicious act," he added. The Malta-flagged vessel carrying fertilizer from Ust-Luga in Russia and headed for South America was sailing in "extremely bad weather" on Saturday based on the information given to him by the crew, Kalchev said. An inspection on Sunday found that "one of the ship's anchors was damaged and the anchor had dropped into the sea, which means that it was possible that it had dragged along the seafloor," he said, adding that the anchor was then pulled up. The Swedish prosecutor in charge of the case, Mats Ljungqvist, told AFP that "the ship suspected of aggravated sabotage" was currently located off the coast of Karlskrona, near the small island of Aspo, but would not confirm the vessel's name. According to marine traffic websites, the Vezhen is anchored at that location, with two Swedish coast guard vessels next to it. "Staff from several Swedish authorities" have been on board the vessel since Sunday evening as part of the investigation, Ljungqvist said. He said that the the case was "primarily being handled by" the Sapo intelligence agency. Navibulgar, Bulgaria's biggest shipping company, has appointed an agent in Sweden and hired a lawyer "to defend the interests of the crew and the company", which extends its "full support" in the probe, according to Kalchev. The ship -- constructed in 2022 -- has a crew of eight Bulgarians and nine Myanmar nationals. Kalchev confirmed media reports that the ship was leased from Chinese company Hai Kuo Shipping, but said that it "has no control over the ship in any way". The damage to the cable occurred in Swedish territorial waters at a depth of at least 50 metres (164 feet), officials said. The cable belongs to Latvia's state radio and television centre (LVRTC) which said in a statement on Sunday that there had been "disruptions in data transmission services". The company said that alternatives had been found and end users would mostly not be affected, although "there may be delays in data transmission speeds". Prime Minister Evika Silina said on Sunday that Riga had notified the Swedish authorities and that the two countries were working together on the incident. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed on Sunday that he had been in contact with Silina, and said that Sweden, Latvia and NATO were closely cooperating on the matter. Experts and politicians have accused Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against the West as the two sides square off over Ukraine. NATO this month announced it was launching a new monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea involving ships and aircraft to deter attempts to target undersea infrastructure. European Union President Ursula von der Leyen expressed "full solidarity" with countries affected by the incident. "The resilience and security of our critical infrastructure is a top priority," von der Leyen wrote on X.
Observer
27-01-2025
- Observer
Sweden intercepts Bulgarian ship over damaged Baltic cable
SOFIA: The Swedish coast guard seized a Bulgarian ship after a fibre-optic cable under the Baltic Sea linking Sweden to Latvia was damaged, its owner said on Monday. Latvia sent a warship on Sunday to investigate the damage, while Swedish prosecutors opened an "aggravated sabotage" investigation. Nations around the Baltic Sea have scrambled to bolster defences after the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months, with some observers blaming Russia. The Swedish coast guard on Sunday instructed the Bulgarian ship "to go into their territorial waters and it is now on anchor where an investigation ... is ongoing," Alexander Kalchev, CEO of Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), owner of the Vezhen, said. Images of the vessel published by Swedish media appeared to show a broken arm on one of Vezhen's anchors. Kalchev denied involvement in any sabotage. "I am convinced that we cannot say ... that this was a malicious act," he added. The Malta-flagged vessel carrying fertilizer from Ust-Luga in Russia and headed for South America was sailing in "extremely bad weather" on Saturday based on the information given to him by the crew, Kalchev said. An inspection found that "one of the ship's anchors was damaged and the anchor had dropped into the sea, which means that it was possible that it had dragged along the seafloor," he said, adding the anchor was then pulled up. The Swedish prosecutor in charge of the case, Mats Ljungqvist, told AFP that "the ship suspected of aggravated sabotage" was currently located off the coast of Karlskrona, near the small island of Aspo, but would not confirm the vessel's name. According to marine traffic websites, the Vezhen is anchored at that location, with two Swedish coast guard vessels next to it. "Staff from several Swedish authorities" have been on board the vessel since Sunday evening as part of the investigation, Ljungqvist said. "The case is primarily being handled by (intelligence agency) Sapo, and I am in charge of the preliminary investigation. We are also receiving excellent assistance from the Swedish coast guard, the Swedish police's National Operations Department as well as the military," he said. Prime Minister Evika Silina said Riga had notified the Swedish authorities and that the two countries were working together on the incident. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed he had been in contact with Silina, and said Sweden, Latvia and Nato were closely cooperating on the matter. Nato this month announced it was launching a new monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea involving ships and aircraft to deter attempts to target undersea infrastructure. European Union President Ursula von der Leyen expressed "full solidarity" with countries affected by the incident. "The resilience and security of our critical infrastructure is a top priority," von der Leyen wrote on X. — AFP
Voice of America
27-01-2025
- Voice of America
Sweden intercepts Bulgarian ship over damaged Baltic cable
The Swedish coast guard chased and intercepted a Bulgarian ship after a fiber-optic cable under the Baltic Sea linking Sweden to Latvia was damaged, its owner said on Monday. Latvia sent a warship on Sunday to investigate the damage, while Swedish prosecutors opened an "aggravated sabotage" investigation. Nations around the Baltic Sea have scrambled to bolster defenses after the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months, with some observers blaming Russia. The Bulgarian vessel on Sunday "was chased by the Swedish coast guard with instructions for the ship to go into their territorial waters and it is now on anchor where an investigation ... is ongoing," Alexander Kalchev, CEO of Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), owner of the Vezhen, told AFP. He denied involvement in any sabotage. "I am convinced that we cannot say ... that this was a malicious act," he added. The Malta-flagged vessel carrying fertilizer from Ust-Luga in Russia and headed for South America was sailing in "extremely bad weather" on Saturday based on the information given to him by the crew, Kalchev said. An inspection on Sunday found that "one of the ship's anchors was damaged and the anchor had dropped into the sea, which means that it was possible that it had dragged along the sea floor," he said, adding the anchor was then pulled up. 'Full solidarity' Navibulgar, Bulgaria's biggest shipping company, said it had appointed an agent in Sweden and hired a lawyer "to defend the interests of the crew and the company." The ship, constructed in 2022, has a crew of eight Bulgarians and nine Myanmar nationals. "Staff from the Swedish authorities have been on board the ship since yesterday evening to carry out investigative measures," an intelligence official told AFP. The damage to the cable occurred in Swedish territorial waters at a depth of at least 50 meters, officials said. The cable belongs to Latvia's state radio and television center (LVRTC) which said in a statement that there had been "disruptions in data transmission services." The company said alternatives had been found and end users would mostly not be affected although "there may be delays in data transmission speeds." Latvia's navy on Sunday said it had identified a "suspect vessel," the Michalis San, near the location of the incident along with two other ships. Prime Minister Evika Silina said Riga had notified the Swedish authorities and that the two countries were working together on the incident. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed he had been in contact with Silina during the day, and Sweden, Latvia and NATO are closely cooperating on the matter. Experts and politicians have accused Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against the West as the two sides square off over Ukraine. NATO this month announced it was launching a new monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea involving ships and aircraft to deter attempts to target undersea infrastructure. European Union President Ursula von der Leyen expressed "full solidarity" with countries affected by the incident. "The resilience and security of our critical infrastructure is a top priority," von der Leyen wrote on X.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
Swedish Coast Guard detains vessel suspected of sabotage in Baltic Sea
Swedish prosecutors announced an investigation into a ship suspected of damaging undersea cables after it was detained by the Swedish Coast Guard, the AP news agency reported on Jan. 27. According to information obtained by the AP from a ship-tracker software, the Malta-flagged Vezhen departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga several days earlier and was navigating near the site of damage. An underwater fiber-optic cable belonging to the Latvian State Radio and Television Broadcasting Center (LVRTC) was significantly damaged on Jan. 26, reportedly due to external impact, according to LVRTC representative Vineta Sprugaine. The accident came as the latest amid a series of incidents that have damaged critical cables in the Baltic Sea. The cable connected the Latvian town of Ventspils to Sweden's Gotland island and was located within Sweden's exclusive economic zone, the statement said. Despite the damage, data transmission services continued using alternate routes, with minimal impact on most end users in Latvia aside from slower data transmission speeds. The previous instances of damaged cables had raised fears that Russian shadow fleet vessels were intentionally sabotaging the energy and communication lines. As a result, NATO dispatched additional patrol ships to the area earlier this month. Contradicting these concerns, intelligence services in the U.S. and Europe are increasingly convinced that the incidents were caused by accidents, the Washington Post reported on Jan. 19. Read also: Sweden to increase military presence in Baltic Sea following suspected cable sabotage We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
