MANILA: The United States will give two Lockheed C-130 “Hercules” planes to the Philippines, newly appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt-General Gregorio Pio Catapang has said.
In a state report, Catapang disclosed the impending donation in a visit to the 1st Air Division headquarters in Clark Field, Pampanga, citing American military officials.
The United States military has deployed a humanitarian mission to the Visayas after the onslaught of deadly typhoon Yolanda, which took thousands of lives and destroyed countless homes.
Catapang said that the Americans extended the offer after learning of President Aquino’s plans to acquire new cargo aircrafts for the military.
The existing C-130 planes of the Air Force figured heavily in the transport of relief goods for victims of typhoon Yolanda and equipment needed by government troops involved in the efforts last year. In November last year, former AFP chief Gen Emmanuel Bautista announced that the country seeks to procure two more C-130 planes to improve disaster relief operations.
Ideally, he said the Philippine Air Force should have at least nine C-130s.
Militants free aid workers
MANILA: Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have freed three abducted aid workers in the southern Philippines after the government withheld anti-poverty funds, prompting an impoverished town to pressure the rebels to release the captives, officials said yesterday.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said the three aid workers and a companion were kidnapped last Thursday in remote Talipao town in Sulu province where they were checking on families who could receive the aid and working on another anti-poverty project. Due to the kidnappings, the government withheld the cash grants to thousands of poor families to ensure the safety of aid workers. Talipao officials then exerted pressure on the militants, who freed their hostages this week without any ransom payment, Soliman said.
A military official said armed relatives of one of the kidnapped workers threatened the family of an Abu Sayyaf militant, helping to ratchet up pressure on the kidnappers.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
