-- A total of 53 people have been killed after the crash while another 50 were injured, according to the latest data.

-- The crashed plane was a second-hand C-130 Hercules recently purchased from the U.S. military.

-- Experts and analysts said the latest tragedy reminded them in many ways of the deep-rooted unequal nature of Philippine-U.S. military cooperation.

by Xinhua writers Yan Jie, Liu Kai

MANILA, July 6  -- Claiming 53 lives, the worst air catastrophe in the Philippines' military history in nearly 30 years has triggered some reflection on the country's military relations with the United States, from which the crashed plane came.

The latest tragedy of the 33-year-old C-130 Hercules built by the U.S. firm Lockheed is the fourth deadly air accident to happen to the Philippine military this year that concerns its procurement contracts with U.S. companies.

The date of the crash of the second-hand C-130 Hercules aircraft also marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States.

While some Philippine politicians spoke out to remind the military not to procure ill-fated "second-hand stuff," the public were concerned about the reliability of U.S.-made military equipment and the unequal Philippine-U.S. military cooperation.