BY DANIE MAE FAJARDO-DELA CRUZ
MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) believes there are enough grounds to investigate two manning agencies for alleged “forced labor trafficking.”
This case involves 35 Filipino fishermen who were initially told their job would be in Taiwan but ended up being deployed in the waters of Namibia, a country in southern Africa with the Atlantic Ocean on its western border.
Based on an article published by the Africa Defense Forum on Oct. 11, 2022, the fishermen were rescued by Namibian authorities from two industrial fishing vessels in early September.
According to Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, 26 of the 36 repatriated fishermen executed affidavits detailing what they went through.
“They were sometimes made to work for 36 hours straight with only two meals a day, and an average of four hours of sleep. Their identity papers including passports and seamen’s books were kept away from them which is a blatant violation of the rights of these seafarers,” said Ople.
Given the international dimension of the case and the gravity of contractual and labor violations committed against the fishermen, the DMW sought the help of the Department of Justice and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.
Ople identified the two manning agencies as Trioceanic Manning & Shipping, Inc. and Diamond H Marine Services & Shipping Agency. They have already appeared before the DMW, and were able to pay the back wages due to the aggrieved fishermen.
But according to Ople, “Any financial settlement between the manning agencies and the fishermen does not prevent the State from looking into the criminal aspects of cases involving the exploitation of migrant workers.”
Namibian authorities who rescued the Filipino fishermen brought them to a shelter and launched a probe on the companies they worked for human trafficking, violations of Namibia’s Labor Act, Immigration Control Act and the Marine Resources Act./PN
