The wives and employers of three Filipino seafarers currently held in an Algerian prison are renewing their appeal to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for decisive diplomatic and legal support to ensure a fair trial and their eventual return home.
The plea highlights a growing concern over the perceived lack of momentum from relevant government agencies, despite consistent efforts by the families and employers to seek a more active state presence in the case.
“We are respectfully requesting a formal communication from President Marcos to the Algerian government, advocating for a fair trial and the release of these men, who we believe are innocent victims of the criminalization of seafarers,” said Marie (an alias), the wife of one of the seafarers, during a press conference held last Saturday, April 18, at the Rizal Park Hotel in Manila.
The seafarers’ employer, Eastern Mediterranean Manning Agency, noted that they have reached out to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on multiple occasions. According to the agency, the DFA’s current stance suggests that the most "prudent" course of action is to continue relying on company-hired legal counsel, as was done for the five other crew members who were previously acquitted.
However, the families feel that private legal efforts alone may not be enough without the weight of the Philippine state behind them.
“We are concerned by what appears to be a limited follow-up by the Philippine government regarding these three seamen, who have now been detained for two and a half years,” stated Athanassios Martinos, managing director of the Greece-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited. “While our seafarers contribute significantly to the national economy through their work abroad, it feels as though their situation is not receiving the high-level diplomatic priority it deserves.”
Martinos emphasized that they are not asking for a complex legal miracle, but rather a simple gesture of state-to-state sympathy from President Marcos to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. This appeal was initially brought to the administration’s attention in June 2025 but remains unaddressed.
Last February, an Algerian court sentenced the Filipinos to 10 years of imprisonment—a reduction from the initial 15-year sentence. Despite this, both the manning agency and the families maintain the seafarers’ total innocence, asserting they were merely performing their routine duties and had no knowledge of the alleged offenses.
“There has never been any physical evidence linking our employees to these narcotics. No funds were discovered, and no suspicious correspondence was found,” Martinos wrote in a letter to President Marcos dated February 9, 2026. He further pointed out that the seafarers had never even visited Algeria prior to this incident.
The employer noted that criminal syndicates often use stevedores to hide illicit substances on ships without the crew’s knowledge. “We remain fully committed to defending our seafarers through all legal channels, but we believe it is the essential responsibility of the Philippine government to provide a safety net for its citizens when they are wrongfully accused abroad.”
The case began on July 28, 2023, when substances were found on the deck of the MV Haris—an area accessible to various shore personnel—after the vessel arrived from Malta. While five of the original eight detained Filipinos have been cleared and repatriated, the Bosun, Ordinary Seaman, and Chief Officer remain in custody.
The families also noted significant gaps in the investigation, such as the fact that the ship’s Captain was never arrested or tried despite his ultimate command responsibility. They hope that a direct appeal from the Philippine President will finally bridge the gap between legal technicalities and the justice these seafarers are seeking.
