MANILA, Philippines — The 20 Filipino seafarers taken into custody last Sunday are in good condition and are being treated well, Libyan authorities said.
"Chargè d'Affaires Melicor was given the assurance by our Libyan friends that our seafarers are in good condition and are being treated well," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.
Melicor had met with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request consular access to the detained Filipinos.
On Sunday, a Libyan Coast Guard patrol seized a Liberian-flagged tanker Levant off Zawia, west of Tripoli, for allegedly trying to smuggle more than six liters of gasoline. The 20 Filipino seafarers were taken into custody after this incident.
The Libyan Coast Guard then towed the vessel, which was being operated by Evalend Shipping Tankers Co., based in Athens, Greece.
The Philippines' top diplomat earlier instructed the Embassy in Tripoli to exert all efforts to secure the immediate release of the detained Filipinos.
According to Cayetano, the embassy officials will have access to the detained Filipino seafarers once the Libyan Attorney General's Office completes its custodial investigation.
Libyan authorities had vowed to release the names of the detained seafarers, whose photographs were published in Libyan newspapers, as soon as possible. — Patricia Lourdes Viray