PRESIDENT Duterte was almost in tears as he delivered his short remarks, saying prayers and condolences to the families of the soldier-victims of the tragic C-130 crash in Patikul, Sulu. The somber occasion was the presidential visit to the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City on July 4. A reporter wrote, “In his speech, a visibly morose President Duterte said he was in deep sorrow as he commiserated with the soldiers.”
The incident resulted in the deaths of 50 soldiers, including three pilots of the Lockheed C-130, and injuries to 46 others, while three civilians on the ground were also killed.
Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana had spoken to the survivors and was told that the plane bounced two to three times and zig-zagged. They said the pilot tried to regain power and lift the aircraft but it was too late; the right wing hit a tree, and the transport plane exploded. Sobejana added that the front of the plane was sliced open, freeing some of the soldiers inside.
‘For the Air Force to have better flying days, a thorough probe of these air crashes should be conducted and decisive solutions should be taken.’
The plane crash elicited statements of emotional support and condolences from many officials and diplomatic posts. This is followed by Duterte’s promises of compensation and assistance to the families of those who died and those who survived. Also, he awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu to them in recognition of their heroism by the government.
After all the prayers and platitudes, what remains to be done is a thorough investigation of this incident, which is now considered as one of the deadliest military air disasters in Philippine history. It behooves the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense to initiate this probe, and then the Senate and the House of Representatives may follow suit for further investigation.
As in all other airplane crashes whether civilian or military, the probe should start with what the black box contain — a record of conversation between the pilots, his crew and sometimes the tower, just before the tragic moment. It is fortunate that according to Sobejana, the black box has been found and is being processed.
Between July 2020 and July 4, 2021, 73 persons have been killed in a series of military aircraft mishaps. Four cases occurred in 2021 alone and these did not involve combat operations.
Calls for the public not to speculate that the latest crash was caused by defective equipment being bought by the Armed Forces, and appeals to pray for the victims are not enough.
For the Air Force to have better flying days, a thorough probe of these air crashes should be conducted and decisive solutions should be taken.
