PHL military checking alleged MH370 wreckage spotted off Tawi-Tawi

The Philippine military has sent a patrol gunboat to an island off Tawi-Tawi province following reports that a wreckage of an aircraft, believed to be that of the missing Malaysian passenger aircraft MH370, was spotted there.

"The Navy has a patrol gunboat in the area now and we are conducting interviews with the locals, with the fishermen," said Capt. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, commander of the Naval Task Force 61.

Residents of the island reportedly saw the wreckage of an aircraft, with skeletal remains stilll fastened by seat belt on the pilot's chair, over the weekend while hunting for birds in a forested area. An audio visual technician named Jamir Omar has reported the discovery to Malaysian authorities.

Barcordo said the gunboat was sent to the island last Sunday to verify the reports.

Initial interviews conducted on the locals, however, yielded no information of a plane crashing in the area.

"They are saying they don’t have any knowledge of this," Bacordo said. "They are not aware of any plane crashing in that area."

The MH370 disappeared in March 8 last year while en route to Beijing, China  from Kuala Lumpur. It was carrying 239 passengers and crew.

Last month, French authorities found a piece of the plane’s wing in the shore of Reunion island in the Indian Ocean.

Bacordo said based on their interviews, it is unlikely there was truth to the reports.

"Even the populace living in the island for the longest time said they have no knowledge of this," he said. —KBK, GMA News