The bodies of the two Philippine Air Force pilots of the downed F-50 jet were brought down from Mt. Kalatungan in Bukidnon by a small group of soldiers, volunteers, and forest guards and were taken to Cagayan de Oro City Wednesday night. Col. Antonio Duluan Jr., commander of the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, stated that the cadavers, carried in black body bags, reached the highway in Barangay Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon, around 10 p.m. and were brought to a funeral parlor in Cagayan de Oro before midnight. Duluan noted that the soldiers and volunteers braved muddy trails and bad weather to retrieve the remains. The two pilots, Maj. Jude Salang-oy and 1Lt. AJ Dadulla, were identified by the Philippine National Police Region 10 Community Affairs and Development Office. Lt. Col. Salvacion Evangelista, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Eastern Mindanao Command, confirmed that the wreckage and the cadavers were found in a mountainous part of Barangay Miarayon Wednesday morning. The crash site, near the peak of Mt. Kalatungan, involved a fuselage without wings that slid down the mountain. The bodies of the pilots were found badly burned outside the fuselage. Soldiers also discovered one of the two 500-pound bombs the aircraft carried, which was detonated on-site, while the search for the other bomb continues. Maj. Gen. Michele Anayron, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, revealed that the ill-fated aircraft was en route to support troops battling New People’s Army rebels near Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, when it lost communication minutes before reaching the target area. Barangay Captain Nilo Onduran of San Miguel, Talakag, reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing a large fireball on Mt. Kalatungan early Tuesday morning. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
