Filipino Sailor Found Dead on Ship Attacked by Pirates

 

The Philippine government reports that a Filipino sailor has been found dead onboard a ship that was attacked by pirates off the coast of Benin.

The Marshall Islands flagged, MV SEA KING, was at anchor in the West African Nation when pirates attacked it on May 11. 

The armed pirates stole valuables from the chemical tanker, including personal effects from the 15 Filipino crewmembers onboard.  The body of Christopher Cortez Ceprado was found onboard the ship four days after the attack.

While pirates presumably killed Ceprado during the incident, the Philippine government is still conducting an investigation.

The country’s government has also called for greater efforts to combat piracy on the high seas. Nearly 30-percent of the world’s merchant sailors are Filipino and many of them have been held hostage by pirates.