The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Monday protested the American authorities for their ill-treatment of 13 Filipino crewmen working in a US ship when they were taken to a criminal court to testify against the captain.

DFA spokesman Gilbert Asuque said that the 13 Filipino crewmen from the ship "MV Katerina" were handcuffed and shackled with leg irons after being subpoenaed by the United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California, as material witnesses for the criminal case.

"These are not defense witnesses. These are government witnesses. They invited these people and they still cuffed them. They should show them some courtesy," he said in a radio interview.

Asuque said that the Filipinos were shackled on Nov. 23, 2004 when they were transported from the Holiday Inn in San Pedro, California, to the US District Court in Los Angeles.

"The Attorney General's office said this is standard procedure during criminal cases. We are protesting this," he said, adding that the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. has sent a note tothe US Department of State on the ill-treatment.

According to the DFA, the 13 Filipinos earlier agreed to testify against officers of the "MV Katerina" after being ordered to dump oil waste and garbage at the Port of Long Beach, California, last year.

The vessel was later charged of illegal discharge of oil-contaminated wastes into the ocean and falsification of pollution prevention records, DFA said.

Source: Xinhua