Missing Filipino soldiers during Korean war found in Pampanga

CANDABA, Pampanga -- Two of the 16 Filipino soldiers declared missing during the Korean war in the 1950s were finally found in this town.

Dr. Paterno Villoria , president of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea, disclosed this during last week’s unveiling of the Philippine-Korean friendship monument here.

“We have finally found the two of the 16 missing soldiers whom we now considered as Korean War veterans. It is our great honor to come over here and to see our former comrades who fought for the freedom of Korea,” Villoria said.

The Korean War veterans were identified as Francisco Salac, 81, from Barangay Paralaya; and Victoriano Manalastas, 83, residing in Barangay Pansinao, both in Candaba town.

For a long time, Villoria said their organization has been exerting all efforts to find the missing comrades from the five battalion teams of the Philippine Army who fought during Korean War.

Salac served in South Korea under the Recon Company while Manalastas at the C-Company of the 10th Batallion Combat Team.

Villoria said the Philippines paid in blood and pain for defending democracy in South Korea.

The first war between democracy and communism took the lives of 112 Filipino soldiers and wounded 299 others.

With this development, only 14 soldiers now remain officially missing-in-action.
Villoria said it is about time for the government of South Korea to return the favor to Filipino soldiers who risked their lives during the war.

"We are not asking for too much. What we only want is to give to us what is appropriate. We are only few who are still alive. From more than 7,000, we are now only 2,000,” Villoria said.

As this developed, Lee Kyung Jae, a Korean legislator, assured the surviving Korean War veterans that South Korea will provide what is due to them.

"We will do return the favor. We never forget what we got from you," Jae said. -- PNA