Speaker Lord Allan Velasco expressed today his deepest
condolences to the family and loved ones of those who died when a Philippine
Air Force (PAF) C-130 cargo plane crashed in Jolo last July 4.
“There are simply no words that can be said to console those
left behind by our brave military personnel, as well as the three civilians who
died as a result of this disaster,” Velasco said.
As of current reports, at least 45 people have died when a
C-130 military plane transporting troops from Cagayan de Oro City to Sulu
province missed the runway in Jolo and crashed into Patikul village.
The aircraft was carrying 90 troops and crew. Five military
personnel are still missing.
Following one of the country's deadliest military aviation
accidents, Velasco vowed to help the PAF replace the lost C-130 and to support
its efforts to upgrade and modernize its fleet.
Congress was supposed to include the purchase of more C-130
planes in the 2021 national budget, but there was not enough time to deliberate
on the modernization of the PAF’s fleet when Velasco took over as Speaker in
October last year.
Sessions were suspended at the time, and President Rodrigo
Roa Duterte even had to call for a special session to prevent a re-enactment of
the 2020 national budget. Velasco, who took over as Speaker as budget
deliberations were ongoing, had to work overtime to pass the 2021 General
Appropriations Bill.
“I can only give my word that we in the House of
Representatives will include in the 2022 budget the modernization of the PAF’s
fleet as well as ensure the proper training of personnel in handling modern
equipment,” Velasco said.
The House chief urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines to
conduct a thorough investigation on the incident with the end in view of
preventing such disasters from happening again.
The Speaker also called for a review of PAF pilots’
protocols as well as an inquiry on the safety of runways around the country,
especially in the provinces.
“We acknowledge the importance of our uniformed personnel, as our dear President Duterte himself has done so several times,” Velasco said. “The least we can do is to ensure that this never happens again.”
