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Remains of passengers in PAF plane crash arrive in Manila


Remains of the passengers on board the ill-fated Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane that crashed on Thursday have arrived in Manila from Cotabato City, a television report said. The bodies were brought to the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City where they were given full military honors led by Armed Forces chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado and PAF commanding general Lieutenant General Oscar Rabena, GMA News' Julius Segovia said. Air Force troops wore black arms bands to show their mourning, said GMA News' Raffy Tima in a separate report. Killed in the crash were Maj. Gen. Mario “Butch" Lacson, commander of the 3rd Air Division of PAF, Capt. Genaro Gaylord Ordoño, the pilot; Lt. Angelica Valdez, co-pilot; Sgt. Jeffrey Gozum; Major Prisco Tacuboy; 2Lt. Alexander Ian Lipaen; SSgt. Ronaldo Mejia; and Sgt. Ian Cristy Marose Llamera. Their bodies would be transported to Rizal Funeral Homes for memorial services and would be carried back to the airbase where their wake would be held, Segovia reported. In the meantime, the PAF assured the victims’ families that financial assistance would be provided to them. The ill-fated plane was on its way to Zamboanga City when it crashed shortly before Thursday noon. It landed into at least three houses and immediately burst into flames. The military said mechanical failure appears to be the main cause of the crash. Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Gerry Zamudio said in a separate interview over GMA News' Unang Hirit that there are three factors that could cause a plane to crash: human error, environmental conditions, and material factor. An 18-man team from the Air Force is now investigating the accident. On April 7 last year, a Bell 412 Presidential helicopter crashed, killing all its passengers which included then Press Undersecretary Jose Capadocia, Presidential Management Staff Undersecretary Marilou Frostrom, and Brig. Gen. Carlos Clet. [See: Chopper wreckage, 7 bodies found in Kabayan, Benguet] Since July 2000, there have been seventeen cases of aerial mishaps involving government aircrafts, based on information by the GMA News Research [See: Government aircraft accidents] - Aie Balagtas See/RJAB Jr./JMA, GMANews.TV

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