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Erap offers financial aid for slain Marines' kin
(Updated 10:28 a.m.) Saying there were enough funds for all of the beneficiaries, deposed President Joseph Estrada on Monday morning offered to provide the families of the 14 Marines slain in the July 10 Basilan clash half a million pesos each in financial assistance. Interviewed on dzBB radio, Estrada said the money would come from his Saludo sa Kawal Pilipino Foundation, which had donated funds for the establishment of a soldiers' cooperative. Asked if there were still enough money in the foundation, Estrada said in Filipino that, "Yes, there is still some money. About a few million left. That's why I took it upon myself [to help them]. I pity the Marines' families, we have to help them." The slain Marines were part of a team searching for then abducted Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi in Basilan when some 500 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) pounced on them. Of the 14 fatalities, 10 were beheaded and mutilated. Estrada said that, "They were killed with hardly a chance to defend themselves, they were even beheaded and things were done to their bodies. It's just proper to provide assistance," he said. Estrada said the family of the 14 slain Marines can course their claims through son-in-law, Manuel "Beaver" Lopez, head of the foundation. Beaver's wife, Jacqueline, was earlier reported as the organization's president. He expressed optimism that claims would be processed quickly, saying that, "hindi naman tayo gobyerno (We're not the government)." The Sandiganbayan is set to render a decision on Estrada's P4.1-billion plunder case by September at the latest. - GMANews.TV
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