Kin of chopper crash victims may get $50,000 insurance, burial benefits

MANILA, Philippines - The families and relatives of the 10 Filipino workers who perished in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan would be receiving over $50,000 in insurance and funeral assistance.

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Carmelita Dimzon said the US-based construction company that employed the 10 Filipino fatalities has agreed to shoulder the funeral expenses and pay their benefits.

“The Texas-based employer, AIM Group of Companies, already informed us that they have submitted the necessary papers for the processing of the insurance and burial benefits of the 10 OFWs so we believe it will not take too long for their families to get the financial benefits,” Dimzon said yesterday.

Dimzon explained the AIM, as a civilian contractor of the US military, is required under the US Defense Base Act to provide insurance and burial benefits to their workers.

Although Dimzon declined to reveal the extent of the benefits, officials from the Labor Department said the families would be receiving at least $50,000 in insurance benefits on top of the funeral assistance.

Labor officials pointed out the families of Filipino workers who died in Iraq while under employment of the US military also received the same benefits.

The 10 Filipino workers were hired by AIM to work at the NATO base in Afghanistan.

The Filipino workers were among the 16 fatalities out of 21 people aboard the Russian-owned civilian Mi-8 helicopter that crashed at Kandahar Air Base last Sunday.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the remains of the 10 Filipinos would be brought to Maryland in the US for DNA testing.

“DNA testing is necessary for conclusive identification of the bodies, which have been severely burned and therefore no longer identifiable physically,” Roque explained.

Roque said the DNA testing would be an easy task since blood samples have been taken from the victims during their medical examination as a requirement for their hiring.

He said the 10 Filipinos have been identified through their passports. Copies of their passports were sent by AIM and identified by their relatives.

Dimzon added AIM has been notified of the victims’ families request to see the remains at the soonest possible time.

“We expect DNA results to be released soon because we told them that we are interested to repatriate the bodies because the families are anxious to see them,” Dimzon said.

Dimzon and Roque also denied reports that three other Filipino workers were injured in the helicopter crash.

Roque said AIM insisted that there were only 10 Filipinos on board the helicopter.

Roque also revealed the manhunt for the three Filipinos involved in the illegal recruitment of the 10 OFWs.

“We already have the lead and we will file illegal recruitment charges as soon as they have been arrested,” Roque said.

Roque said two men have been actively recruiting in various provinces nationwide for work in Afghanistan.

“We were told that the 10 OFWs who died paid the recruiters P120, 000 for their deployment to Afghanistan,” Roque said.