Divers recovered the body of one of the Philippines’ most influential politicians on Tuesday, three days after a light plane carrying him and three others crashed into the sea, the government said.
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo’s remains were found 55 metres under water near the coast of the central island of Masbate, where the plane went down Saturday, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas said.
Roxas said divers battled strong currents to reach the wreck of the twin-engine Piper Seneca, which was lying overturned on the sea bed about 800 metres from the shore, and Robredo’s body was then brought up.
Divers were still trying to recover the bodies of the Filipino pilot, Jessup Bahinting, and and his Nepalese co-pilot, Kshitiz Chand from the sunken fuselage.
The dramatic search and rescue operations had gripped the Catholic nation, with hundreds joining prayers vigils and longtime friend President Benigno Aquino travelling initially to the crash site in an effort to help.
“He is a very big loss to the cabinet and to the entire nation,” an emotional presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte told reporters at a church in Manila where a special mass for Robredo was held.