People inspect the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine, Thursday, July 17, 2014. Ukraine said a passenger plane was shot down Thursday as it flew over the country, and both the government and the pro-Russia separatists fighting in the region denied any responsibility for downing the plane. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Embassy in Malaysia is working closely with Malaysia Airlines authorities on what assistance they may be able to offer the next of kin of the three Filipino casualties in flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine.
“We were informed by the Malaysia Airlines that they are in the process of contacting the next of kin of the three Filipinos,” Vice Consul of the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia Johann Veronica Andal said in a televised phone interview Friday.
“We stand ready to provide any assistance that might be needed by the next of kin,” she said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed earlier that there were three Filipinos on the MH17 flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur which crashed near the eastern border of Ukraine.
Andal said that they have the names of the three victims but they would not yet disclose it until the Malaysia Airlines authorities have informed the next of kin.
“It is their standard operating procedure that they will inform the next of kin,” she said.
“We have the names which we have already forwarded to the DFA, but unless the next of kin have been informed, we will not disclose out of respect for the next of kin,” Andal added.
It was not yet clear whether the three Filipinos were heading back to Philippines through Kuala Lumpur or were based in Amsterdam.
The plane was allegedly shot down by Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine but they have denied any involvement, international news reports said.
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