3 Filipinos die in Malaysia Airlines Flt MH 17

Irene Gunawan, 54 and her daughter Sherryl Shania Gunawan, 20, and son Darryl Dwight Gunawan, 15

Three Filipinos were among the 298 passengers on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. The Boeing 777 plane is suspected to have been shot down by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile fired by Ukrainian separatists supported by Russia.

“Based on their passport records with us, the address given was in The Netherlands. We are not sure whether they’ll be travelling from The Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur as their final destination or transiting going somewhere. We don’t have that information,” Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said.

“Upon the request of Malaysia Airlines, we will allow the airlines to notify the families. And if they are unable to do that, and if they request our assistance, we will assist in notifying their next-of-kin,” said Jose.

He assured that the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is in close coordination with the Malaysia Airlines head office.

Likewise, Jose said that the embassy and the DFA are both ready to provide assistance to the victims’ families.

“Our embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the DFA are both prepared to extend all the necessary assistance to the families of the three victims, starting first of all, if the next-of-kin would like to visit wherever the remains would be taken and our embassy will help in facilitating their visit. And if the family would like to repatriate the remains back to the Philippines, our embassy will also assist them,” he said.

Holland resident and Gunawan family friend Peter Overbeeke said that the family was planning to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Manila. “I’m 99 percent sure that they will have an onward flight to Manila because they were having their summer vacation,” He also said that Gunawan’s husband, Bujanto Gunawan, who is an Indonesian national, was also on board the flight. He worked for Malaysia Airlines.  (Epoch Times)

Updated: 2014-08-01 — 18:24:40