PH military lends hand in AirAsia plane search

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has joined other countries in the search for the missing AirAsia plane.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will be on the lookout for “unusual sightings” in the country’s territorial waters.

“AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Catapang Jr. alerted military units conducting maritime patrols over Philippine territorial waters to be extra observant and report any unusual sightings that may provide possible leads in locating the missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501,” AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said in a statement.

“General Catapang also placed these units on on-call status and directed them to stand ready to provide assistance when needed,” he added.

Cabunoc said two C-130s, two Fokker planes, one Islander and a Navy vessel (PF-16) are on standby as the search in Indonesia continues.

Countries such as Malaysia and Singapore have been assisting in the search for the Singapore-bound plane, which was last spotted over Java Sea.

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