WRECKAGE The Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane, one of two newly acquired transport aircraft that arrived in January, was seen hovering and circling above Sitio Amman in Patikul, Sulu, before it plunged near a garbage area, witnesses said. —PHOTO COURTESY OF ARMY 11TH INFANTRY DIVISION
MANILA, Philippines — Two days since the ill-fated crash of a C-130 flight in Patikul, Sulu, Armed Forces chief Cirilito Sobejana said on Tuesday that only seven out of 49 dead personnel who were aboard have been identified.
In the interview over Teleradyo, Sobejana said that investigators had to carefully examine the bodies, some of which were severely charred, resulting in the delay in the identification of the victims.
“Yung iba sa mga namatay ay talagang beyond recognition, sunog po ‘yung kanilang katawan,” he said.
“So far, noong bumisita si Presidente (Rodrigo Duterte) kagabi, pito na po ang na-identify na mga cadaver,” he added.
(So far, when the President visited last night, they have identified seven of the cadavers.)
Sobejana said that anyway, the identities of the military personnel could still be determined using their DNA and dental records.
Aside from the 49 military personnel, three more individuals were killed on site when the C-130 Hercules plane missed the Sulu runway on Sunday.
“With 49 na mga sundalo na namatay, pito pa lang yung sigurado tayo sa pagkakakilanlan nila, yung 42 others, I presume, yun ang ina-undergo ng pagsusuri para makilala natin at maihatid sa kanilang pamilya,” he added.
(Of the 49 soldiers who died, only seven have confirmed identities. The 42 others, I presume, are still being examined so we could identify and bring them to their families.)