THE military said on Sunday that it has identified three more remains of soldiers who were among those recovered from the C-130 plane that crashed and burned in Patikul, Sulu, early last month.
A report from the Philippine National Police-SOCO Region 9 confirmed the identities of Cpl. Jerome Balivado, Private Joey Loterte and Private Kevin L. Damole, all from the Army.
Military spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala said the Western Mindanao Command has reached out to the families of the soldiers and it is arranging for the transport of the remains to their hometowns.
The identification of the three cadavers brought to a total 37 the remains that have already been identified from those who perished in the ill-fated C-130 plane that crashed while attempting to land at the airport in Patikul.
Zagala said 13 cadavers are still undergoing the tedious process of identification before they could be turned over to their families for proper burial.
The military said 50 soldiers, most of them new recruits on their way to Sulu for their first deployment, died from the crash on July 4 while 46 others survived.
Eastern Mindanao Command Commander LtGen. Greg T. Almerol visited five survivors of the C-130 mishap who are currently recuperating at Camp Panacan Hospital (CPH) on August 7 and extended financial assistance to them.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command commander Major Gen. Greg Almerol visited five of the survivors who are currently recuperating at the Camp Panacan Hospital (CPH) in Davao City.
Sgt. Bensaudi Asanulla, Pvt. Stephen Maglacion, Pvt. Cyrille De Castro, Pvt. Ryan Tagubar and Pvt. Christian Banug were previously admitted to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) but later transferred to CPH to continue their recovery.
Almerol handed over financial assistance to the five soldiers and even Sgt. James Miguel Ybañez, who is still confined at SPMC and was poised for an operation.