MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) vowed Monday to back proposals for more funding to upgrade and modernize the Philippine Air Force fleet in the wake of its C-130 cargo plane that crashed in Jolo.
"I can only give my word that we in the House of Representatives will 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," Velasco said in a statement.
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"There are simply no words that can be said to console those left behind by our brave military personnel, as well as the three civilians who died as a result of this disaster."
A C-130 military plane transporting troops from Cagayan de Oro City to Sulu province missed the runway in Jolo and crashed in nearby Patikul. The aircraft was carrying 90 troops and crew.
As of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' latest update, total fatalities from the incident stand at 50. The crash left 47 military personnel and three civilians on the ground dead, while 49 soldiers and four civilians were left injured.
'No time to discuss funding for 2021 budget'
"Congress was supposed to include the purchase of more C-130 planes in the 2021 national budget, but there was not enough time to deliberate on the modernization of the PAF’s fleet when Velasco took over as Speaker in October last year," Velasco's statement read.
The House leader said that sessions were suspended at the time, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to call for a special session to prevent a re-enactment of the 2020 national budget.
Velasco called on AFP leadership to conduct a thorough investigation on the incident with the end in view of preventing such disasters from happening again.
He also urged a review of the protocols of the air force's pilots and an inquiry on the safety of runways around the country, particularly in the provinces.
“We acknowledge the importance of our uniformed personnel...The least we can do is to ensure that this never happens again,” Velasco said.
— with a report from Xave Gregorio