C-130 plane crash survivors get award, aid

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-six soldiers who were injured when a C-130 plane crashed in Sulu received merit medals and cash assistance from the Office of the President (OP) on Monday.

Asnawi Maamor of the Presidential Management Staff in Zamboanga peninsula and Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) deputy for administration chief Brig. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete pinned the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the rank of Kampilan on the soldiers who were confined at the Zamboanga City Medical Center, Zamboanga Doctor’s Hospital, West Metro Medical Center and Ciudad Medical Zamboanga.

Col. Alaric Avelino delos Santos, Westmincom spokesman and civil-military chief, said each soldier received P115,000 in cash assistance, gift checks worth P5,000, a cellular phone, a watch and a gun certificate.

President Duterte provided financial assistance to the other injured soldiers at Camp General Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo and Camp Navarro General Hospital at Westmincom when he visited them on July 5.

The military said the victims and their families are entitled to receive additional financial assistance, which include the sum of their base pay, hazard pay and bonuses, funeral service support amounting to P80,000 and monthly pension based on rank and length of service.

The relatives of the victims will also benefit from the comprehensive social benefits program of the OP and other assistance from AFP units and various sectors.

More donations

During his public address on Monday, the President condoled anew with the families of the victims of the crash even as he announced that religious leader Apollo Quiboloy would give P20,000 in cash to the families of the fatalities.

Duterte said his friend Ivan Yao has given P5,000 worth of gift certificates to the families of those who died in the crash.

Meanwhile, a P5-million donation for the families of the fatalities and the wounded soldiers was received by AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria at Camp Aguinaldo from the offices of ACT-CIS party list Rep. Eric Go Yap, Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte as well as members of the business sector in Benguet and Davao. – Alexis Romero, Michael Punongbayan