Four Filipino seafarers who were arrested in Adelaide, South Australia for importing drugs into the country will receive assistance by the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne and the Philippine Embassy in Canberra.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has said that four Filipino seafarers have been arrested in Australia for importing “commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs.”

The DFA said in a statement, ” The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne and the Philippine Embassy in Canberra, Australia, is closely monitoring the situation of the four (4) Filipino seafarers of Cyprus-flagged Safe Bulkers vessel Kypros Bravery, in Adelaide, South Australia, who were arrested for alleged importation of a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs,” “The Consulate General is in close coordination with Australian authorities on the case,” it added.

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“All four are in good health and are being treated well by Australian authorities. The four Filipino seafarers were individually provided public defenders when they appeared at Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on 01 April 2022,” the DFA added. “The DFA stands ready to provide necessary assistance, including legal assistance, if still necessary, to protect the Filipino seafarers’ rights and ensure that they are given due process and a fair trial,” it said.

“The public is likewise reminded that the Philippine government, under the leadership of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, expects all Filipinos to uphold the rule of law wherever they may be,” the statement read.