Envoy’s body home on Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines–The remains of Ambassador Domingo Lucenario Jr., who was killed in a helicopter crash in Pakistan on Friday, will arrive in the Philippines on Wednesday morning, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the DFA spokesman, said Lucenario’s remains will arrive at 7 a.m. at Villamor Airbase on a special Pakistan C-130 plane.

Pakistan’s minister of commerce will be in the party escorting the body home, which will include Lucenario’s immediate family, Jose said.

The remains will be brought to Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City on Thursday and a memorial service will be held at the DFA headquarters in Pasay City the following day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lucenario was one of six people killed in the helicopter crash in a mountainous region in Pakistan that was believed caused by mechanical failure. Taliban extremists claimed responsibility, even releasing a view purportedly showing its shooting down of the helicopter. Pakistani officials, however, debunked this.

Lucenario was part of a trip organized by the Pakistani government to the launch of a tourism development in that part of the country. Three helicopters were carrying foreign diplomats, including the one that crashed and killed Lucenario, the Norwegian ambassador and the wives of two other envoys.