9 May 2006 — Ambassador Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr. of the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa reported to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo that Embassy representatives Consul General Renato L. Villapando and Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Eduardo Vinuya, Jr. have already met with the six Filipino seamen who survived the sinking of the MV Alexandros T, have confirmed that the OFWs are all in good physical condition, and have begun processing their necessary travel documents in preparation for their repatriation within the week.

Ambassador Reyes stated that the Embassy representatives met with the six Filipinos after OFWs arrived in Durban where they were airlifted to by South African military aircraft from the Fortune Express rescue ship.

In Durban, Consul General Villapando and ATN Officer Vinuya also spoke with representatives of the owner of the MV Alexandros T and its shipping agents.  They have assured the Embassy representatives that “the crewmen will be provided with the necessary services during their stay in Durban.”  The Filipinos are currently staying in a hotel in Durban while the Embassy arranges for their return to the Philippines, Ambassador Reyes said.

Ambassador Reyes likewise reported to Secretary Romulo that “the South African Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center has stated that search and rescue operations would have to be suspended due to ‘bad light’ and poor weather conditions.”

Nevertheless, Capt. Costas Drivas, the representative of the MV Alexandros T shipowner from Greece, has guaranteed that “they will engage the services of the search boat Amanda Smit to continue search and rescue operations for another 48 hours or so,” Ambassador Reyes said.

The Ambassador also stated that the shipowner representative and ship agents have assured the Embassy representatives that the shipping management, through its manning agent in the Philippines, will be in contact with the relatives in the Philippines of the missing Filipino seafarers “in any eventuality”.

Ambassador Reyes said that the Embassy representatives have also begun to process the necessary travel documents in coordination with South African authorities in preparation for the Filipinos’ return to the Philippines within the week. (Please see Press Releases SFA-AGR-344-06 dated 5 May 2006; and SFA-AGR-345-06 dated 9 May 2006 for the background information, and the Photo Release accompanying this).  END