Bulletin: On the Acquittal of Seven Filipino Seafarers in Libya

04 March 2019 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomes the acquittal of seven Filipino seafarers who have been held in Libya since 2017.

The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli said the Libyan High Court has ordered the release of the seven crew members of the M/T Levante who were earlier sentenced by a lower court to four years in prison for allegedly attempting to smuggle fuel.

Chargé d'Affaires Mardomel Celo Melicor said the Embassy received a copy of the order of the High Court on Sunday. The Embassy is now coordinating the repatriation of the seven seafarers with Libyan authorities.

Chargé d'Affaires Melicor said the seven were among 20 Filipinos who were taken into custody after the Libyan Coast Guard boarded and seized the Liberian-flagged tanker while it was anchored in international waters. The Filipinos were investigated and detained for alleged economic sabotage because they supposedly attempted to smuggle six million liters of fuel.

According to Chargé d’Affaires Melicor, authorities released 13 crew members in February last year but charged the remaining seven, who are all officers, and sentenced them to four-year prison terms in November.

The Department and the Embassy have been working for the release of the seven who have consistently denied the charges.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. expressed his appreciation to Libyan authorities for their assistance in securing the acquittal. Secretary Locsin was among those who appealed for the release of the seven along with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Presidential Adviser Abdullah Mamao. END