MANILA, Philippines – Philippine authorities are assisting several Filipino seafarers being held in South Korea over a major drug bust in the country, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported on Friday, April 11.
As of Friday, the 20 Filipinos who were working on MV Lunita are still aboard the docked ship at a port in South Korea — not detained nor under official custody of Korean authorities. DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay said that a representative of its office in South Korea has visited the crew.
“Based on the discussions through the captain, there is still an ongoing investigation. So we will not discuss what are the matters in the investigation, but we are assured that they are in good condition and they are healthy,” Bay said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Bay said the crew has a Filipino interpreter and a lawyer provided by their shipping agency. The ship owner is also continuously supplying their wages, food supplies, and other basic needs.
Because of the ongoing investigation, the DMW refrained from disclosing details of the seafarers’ defense, particularly regarding their awareness of the presence of two tons of suspected cocaine aboard the ship.
“We won’t be answering inquiries for now about awareness or any specific allegations or defenses, statements by any of the crew, because what we’re doing now is advising them as they are going through investigation. There will be a proper time to lay down the defenses as we go along,” said DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac.
South Korean authorities found the two tons of suspected cocaine on Wednesday, April 2, on MV Lunita, which was docked at Gangneung City. It appeared to be the largest haul of smuggled drugs in the country’s history.
South Korea has strict drug laws, and crimes are punishable by 6 months to 15 years imprisonment. – with a report from Reuters/Rappler.com