The wives of three Filipino seafarers detained in Algeria on drug trafficking charges have made an urgent appeal to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., seeking government help to bring their husbands home.
Identified only by their aliases Joy, Marie, and Rose, the women spoke during a press conference held at a restaurant in Manila on Friday, June 6, claiming their husbands' innocence.
“It has been 2 years po na nandun yung mga asawa namin at nagdurusa po sa kasalanan na hindi naman po nila nagawa,” Joy, one of the wives of detained Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) stated.
The three seafarers are among eight Filipino crew members of the MV Harris who were arrested by Algerian authorities on July 28, 2023, after nearly 36 kilograms of cocaine were discovered aboard the Maltese-flagged container ship while it was docked at the Port of Algeria.
Since then, they have been detained at the Berrouaghia facility in Algeria.
Alias Marie added that her 54-year-old husband is suffering from a medical condition, raising further concerns about his well-being while in detention.
“Nananawagan po kami kay President Marcos na sana bigyan niyo ng pansin ang aming kahilingan dahil ang asawa ko po sa edad na 54 ay mayroon po siyang iniiindang karamdaman po sana po tulungan niyo sila” she said.
The families acknowledged the complexity of international legal and diplomatic processes but stressed that the prolonged uncertainty has taken a deep emotional toll on their families.
They further insisted that the 15-year sentence given to their husbands is unjust, especially since they had no involvement in the crime.
Regarding the Philippine government's coordination with Algeria, they are seeking clarity on the status of the case and assistance in allowing a government-appointed lawyer to personally visit the three seafarers.
“We believe po na through the help of our government po to President Marcos with the government approach para po makauwi na po ang mga asawa namin sa lalong madaling panahon,” said Joy.
“Alam po namin na mga inosento po sila,” Marie added.
The women expressed their trust in the Philippine government and urged Marcos to intensify efforts in securing fair legal representation and pursuing all possible means to bring their husbands home.
Last year, despite their consistent denials of involvement, the Algerian Entitlement Chamber denied the Filipino seafarers' petition for bail and rejected their plea to dismiss the charges.
