Pacquiao to give P50,000 to every family of Sulu C-130 crash casualties

Sen. Manny Pacquiao. (Joseph Vidal/ Senate PRIB/file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao will be giving P50,000 to each family who lost a loved one in the deadly C-130 plane crash in Patikul, Sulu, and P20,000 each to those injured in the accident.

“Bilang tulong sa aking mga kapatid sa Armed Forces of  the Philippines (AFP) at mga sibilyang naging biktima ng  C-130 crash sa Patikul, Sulu, magbibigay ako ng P50,000 sa bawat pamilya ng mga nasawi  at P20,000 para sa mga sugatan,” the senator said in a statement Tuesday.

(To help our brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and to the civilians who died in the C-130 plane crash in Patikul, Sulu, I will give each bereaved family P50,000 as well as P20,000 to those who were injured.)

“Kasama po ako ng sambayanan sa panalangin para ating mga bayaning nasawi at para sa agarang paggaling ng mga sugatan,” he added.

(I am one with the nation in extending prayers to our heroes who perished and for the speedy recovery of those wounded.)

The ill-fated Philippine Air Force C-130 aircraft was carrying 96 military personnel, many of whom were new Army recruits who were supposed to be deployed for combat against terrorism in Sulu. The crash resulted in the death of at least 52 civilians and mostly soldiers.

READ: Death toll in C-130 Sulu crash rises to 52

The plane crashed as it was landing in Patikul, a town in Mindanao that has become an Abu Sayyaf stronghold. All those on board had already been accounted for.

In a visit to the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City to honor the dead soldiers, President Rodrigo Duterte assured assistance to the bereaved families and to those wounded.

KGA