MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said it identified all the 50 soldiers who died in the C-130 aircraft that crashed in Sulu last July 4.
In a statement, the AFP said they identified the last ten of the 50 fatalities among their ranks. They are:
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Philippine Army
- Cpl. Dexter Estrada
- Cpl. Reynel Matundin
- Cpl. Gulam Ismael
- PFC Bengie Malanog
- Pvt Ian Azuelo
- Pvt Erwin Canton
- Pvt Mansueto Lingatong III
- Pvt Mar Jhun Capagngan
- Pvt Michael Dalore
Philippine Air Force
- A2C Glen Mar Biscocho
The AFP said the remains of the personnel were already transported to their hometowns. They also extended condolences to the bereaved families of their fellow soldiers.
“Rest assured that they will be provided with the necessary support and assistance as well as the benefits due to the soldiers who died in line of duty,” it added.
The C-130 transport plane was carrying soldiers and civilians when it overshot a runway, killing 50 military men and three civilians on the ground. There were also at least 46 who were injured.
The nearly 100 soldiers aboard the plane were from Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental who went through training in Cagayan de Oro and were meant to join the Jolo-headquartered 11th Infantry Division.
The black box containing a captive voice recorder and flight data recorder that will help determine what happened during the fatal crash was already sent to the United States for analysis.
The plane, with tail number 5125, was acquired from the United States and delivered to the Philippines in January. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Xave Gregorio