The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi recently confirmed that the remains of three Filipinos who perished in the Kish air tragedy at Sharjah Aairport, United Arab Emirates, will be arriving today, 16 February at 3:20 p.m. on board EK Flight 332.  They will be met at the NAIA by their respective next-of-kin, DFA officials and representatives of  POEA and OWWA.  One other Filipino passenger, Mr. George Cruz, who was also positively identified by his cousin, is still confined at Al-Qaassimi Hospital in Sharjah.

“I commiserate with the families of the fatalities on the loss of loved ones in such a tragic manner.  If its of any comfort, I wish to assure the next-of-kin of the victims of the Department’s service and assistance, not only in the early shipment of the remains but also in the facilitation of the release of benefits due the families”, Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert stated, before her departure for the first leg of her 3-country official trip to Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar yesterday.

Secretary Albert also commended the efforts of the Embassy officials as well as the UAE authorities for the expeditious manner in attending to the victims.

Earlier, only two Filipinos were listed in the manifest of the flight; however, the final manifest indicated that two other Filipinos boarded the plane from Kish Island. The remains of Mr. Francisco Cabrillos Britanico was identified by his brother-in-law; Mr. Danilo Navarro Manalese, by  close associates in church, the Iglesia ni Kristo; Mr. Engelbert Salenga Lingal, by a Filipino national employed at Al-Saha Dental Labs.