The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said 36 of the recovered bodies from the C-130 crash in Sulu over the weekend have yet to be identified.
AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said 50 military personnel have been killed in the crash, with the newest casualty recorded on late Monday night from the 47 wounded-in-action soldiers. Three civilians were also killed.
“Puspusan ‘yung ginagawa ng mga forensic experts natin sa pamamagitan ng DNA at dental records. Ginagawa natin ang best effort natin para maiuwi na natin sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya ‘yung ating mga kasundaluhan,” Sobejana said.
In line with the investigation on the incident, authorities have already recovered the black box of the aircraft and have restricted the 1-kilometer radius of the area to gather uncontaminated evidence.
Sobejana said one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s instructions during his visit in Zamboanga is to ensure that all military assets are in good condition to prevent a similar incident.
Read more: Duterte honors fallen soldiers in Sulu crash, vows to extend aid
Meanwhile, several lawmakers have been pushing for the acquisition of modern and new assets for the AFP.
In a statement, Senator Minority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri appealed to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) “to find the budget necessary for the Air Force to replace their aging fleet, particularly their workhorses, which are their overused and extremely old C-130s.”
Earlier this week, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa called on the legislature to modernize the AFP to prevent fatal incidents which he said are “priceless compared to the foreign debt that we may incur as a result of military modernization.”
House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco also assured to “include in the 2022 budget the modernization of the PAF’s fleet as well as ensure the proper training of personnel in handling modern equipment.” – Report from Bea Bernardo/AG-rir
Read more: AFP mourns passing of soldiers in C130 crash, says aircraft was in good shape
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