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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 3 more bodies identified in Sulu crash; total at 37

3 more bodies identified in Sulu crash; total at 37

Published Aug 8, 2021 12:10 pm

Three more cadavers were identified as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP), continues the painstaking efforts of identifying those who died in the tragic military cargo plane crash in Patikul, Sulu last month.

Colonel Ramon Zagala, newly designated AFP spokesperson, said the identities of Corporal Jerome Balivado, Private Joey Kiefer Loterte, and Private Kevin Damole, all members of the Philippine Army (PA), were confirmed by the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Scene of the Crime Operatives laboratory in Zamboanga Peninsula (SOCO-IX).

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"The AFP, through Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), has already reached out to the families of the deceased and is now arranging for the immediate transport of the cadavers to their hometowns," Zagala said on Sunday, August 8, when he announced the identification of the three soldiers.

Balivado was a native of Patag, Cagayan de Oro City; Loterte hailed from Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; and Damole was from Kibawe, Bukidnon.

The AFP also included Technical Sergeant Salahi Abdurahman in the list of fatalities after his name was previously withdrawn "for further clarification."

With this development, the AFP has now identified 37 of the 50 dead soldiers in the military plane crash.

" are still undergoing the tedious process of identification to ensure that they are reunited to their families as soon as possible," Zagala said.

Meanwhile, the AFP has yet to release an update on the investigation in the incident. The blackbox or flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder of the ill-fated plane had been set to a military facility in the United States for analysis.

Last July 4, a C-130 cargo plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) carrying 96 soldiers crashed in Barangay Bangkal, killing 50 soldiers and three civilians.

Most of the passengers were new graduates from training with a rank of Private, and were on their first assignment to fight Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists in Sulu.

The AFP vowed to provide all the necessary assistance to the families of the military personnel who died and got injured.

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Sulu Crash identified bodies Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
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