PHL agencies, officials tweet sympathies for MH17 passengers, crew members

Philippine agencies and officials on Friday took to social media to express sympathies with those who perished aboard crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 – among them three Filipinos.

As of Friday morning, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines posted on Twitter a message calling for prayers for MH17 passengers and crew members.

"#PrayForMH17," the CAAP tweet read.

For his part, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration head Hans Leo Cacdac mourned the deaths of the passengers, including the three Filipinos.

"Very sad morning po, thoughts and prayers for passengers on board #MH17 and their families; 3 Filipinos on board per DFA and news reports," he said on his Twitter account.

Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur vice consul Johann Veronica Andal also expressed sympathies to the victims in an interview on GMA News TV's "News to Go."

For its part, the US Embassy in Manila retweeted US President Barack Obama's statement that "Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families of the passengers, wherever they call home."

Malaysia Airlines said MH17 was carrying 298 people, including 283 passengers and 15 crew members, when it went down in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority clarified that "only Malaysian Airlines direct flights to and from Kuala Lumpur operate at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport."  — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News