Not true, says Manila on claims of MH370 wreckage

A file photo dated 29 July 2015 showing officers carrying a flaperon from an aircraft apparently washed ashore in Saint-Andre de la Reunion, eastern La Reunion island, France. - EPA

KOTA KINABALU: Manila has dismissed claims that the wreckage of the missing MH370 was on one of its islands in the southern Philippines. 

Captain Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, commander of Naval Task Force 61 said that they had deployed a gunboat to investigate the claims of a man about the sightings of the wreckage believed to be that of MH370. 

“We deployed a gunboat there because of the news. We interviewed the people at the Sugbay Island, the fishermen, but they have no knowledge about it,” said Bacardo. 

“Even the people residing in the island for the longest time have no knowledge of this,” he said. 

He was surprised with the information, but said that he was checking on it. 

“If we are to check [thoroughly], it has to be a deliberate effort. It’s a big island, 3.5 miles long… but we did an initial investigation with the populace,” Bacordo told Philippines media. 

On Saturday, a report was lodged with the Sandakan authorities about the so-called sighting of the wreckage. 

Jamil Omar, 46, had gone to the police with the information he got from his aunt, who claimed to have been told about it from her relatives who were hunting for birds at the Sugbay Island in Tawi-Tawi last week. 

It was reported that skeletal remains fastened to their seats were seen inside the plane.