In October 2016, Somali pirates freed 26 Asian hostages they held for nearly 5 years after hijacking a fishing vessel in the southern part of Seychelles. Elmer Balbero and 4 other Filipino seafarers were among those released.

Their life-and-death struggle began when pirates seized their ships and the long wait – marked by psychological torture – stretched to weeks, months, and years.

Once freed, the seafarers and their families bear the trauma of years in captivity. Here’s their story. – Rappler.com

Writer and narrator: Ana P. Santos
Animation: Janina Malinis
Video Editor: Emerald Hidalgo
Field coverage: CJ Tacata
Graphics: Guia Abogado
Producer: Jaira Roxas
Supervising Producer: Beth Frondoso

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Read the reports:
Part 1 | Ocean lockdown: Filipino fishermen face perils at sea
Part 2 | After freedom, Filipino seafarers captured by pirates battle trauma