THE Armed Forces has identified eight more soldiers whose remains were charred after a C-130 transport plane of the Air Force crashed in Patikul, Sulu on July 4.
This brings to 28 the number of military personnel who have been identified by authorities as of Sunday night, out of the total 49 soldier-fatalities.
The eight were T/Sgt. Nelson Hadjiri; Corporal Jay-ar Obenita; Privates First Class Carlos Dapanas Jr, Keth Kane Alegarme, Marchi Bonzales and Philip Dante Camilosa; and Privates Archie Barba, and Carlos Jhun Paragua Jr, all from the Army.
The plane, acquired from the US in January, overshot the runway of the Jolo airport, failed to regain power and crashed at a settlement area in the nearby Barangay Bangkay in Patikul town.
Forty-nine of the 96 military personnel on board died and 47 were injured. Many of the fatalities cannot be immediately identified because their bodies were burned beyond recognition.
The crash also led to the death of three civilians on the ground and wounding of four others.
“The families of the recently identified soldiers were already officially informed. Air and land transportation are currently being arranged by the AFP to bring the remains of the soldiers to their loved ones,” said AFP public affairs chief Capt. Jonathan Zata.
He said the eight were identified through their dental records, and belongings recovered from their remains.
On the 21 fatalities who are yet to be identified, Zata said: “The AFP shall continue its utmost efforts in identifying the remaining cadavers. We will continue to coordinate with the PNP SOCO (Scene of the Crime Office) to ensure that they are promptly returned to their loved ones.”
Zata said the identification process is very deliberate “so we can turn over the correct cadavers to their loved ones.”
Zata said the remains of the 21 personnel are at the headquarters of the AFP Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, where the identification process is ongoing.
A team from the Air Force is investigating the accident. The plane’s flight data recover and cockpit voice recorder were sent to the US last Saturday for analysis.
Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said the investigation may take over a month to complete. He noted the analysis of the contents of the two recorders alone may take about a month.
Materiel factor, weather, and pilot error are the three major angles that the investigators are looking into. Military officials have been urging the public to avoid making speculations about the cause of the crash.
