Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has condemned criticisms which put the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at fault in the tragic military plane crash involving a C-130 cargo plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Lorenzana said some critics were alleging that the AFP was purchasing and using "defective" equipment, which they claimed to be the reason why a C-130 military plane (tail no. 5125) crashed in Patikul, Sulu on Sunday, July 4.
He described these allegations as "baseless" and "disrespectful."
"We call on the public to refrain from spreading highly speculative statements about the unfortunate incident," the Defense Chief said.
"With the investigations of the past mishaps still ongoing, such speculations are as of yet baseless and disrespectful to the affected men and women of the Philippine Air Force, AFP, and their families," he added.
Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, appealed to the public to avoid speculations as an investigation was already conducted to determine the cause of the crash.
"We assure you that the AFP will be transparent in the conduct of investigation," he said.
Among the angles being looked into are the condition of the aircraft, the runway, possible human error, and if the plane was overloaded.
Meanwhile, AFP Chief, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana directed all camps across the country to lower their flags to a half-mast for six days beginning Monday, July, 5, to mourn the passing of those who perished in the Sulu crash.
Crashed
The PAF has a total of four C-130 planes in its fleet and one more unit is set for delivery, according to Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson.
The crashed C-130 was one of the two cargo planes acquired by the AFP through a grant from the United States government. The second unit is set for delivery from US.
The acquisition of the two C-130s was worth P2.5 billion, with the Philippine government paying for P1.6 billion while the US government contributed P900 million.
Delivered last January 29 and formally welcomed to the PAF fleet on February 18, the crashed C-130 was described by Arevalo as "airworthy" although it was not brand new, with "11,000 flying hours left before its next maintenance."
Meanwhile, another C-130 unit was grounded by the AFP pending the results of the investigation of the Sulu crash.
Two more C-130 units are being repaired in Portugal, one of which will be flown back into the country this month.
6 air mishaps in less than a year
In less than a year, six fatal aviation accidents occured in the Air Force which resulted in the death of 72 individuals, most of them military personnel.
The Patikul, Sulu crash is the latest in a string of air mishaps involving the armed forces. It is the worst among the six incidents since July 2020, with 47 soldiers and three civilians confirmed dead and 53 others wounded.
On June 23, 2021, all six PAF personnel aboard an S-70i Blackhawk utility chopper died when it crashed in Capas, Tarlac while on a night flight proficiency training.
A PAF pilot was also killed while three others were injured when a McDonnel MD520MG light multi-role helicopter crashed in Getafe, Bohol on April 27, 2021. The aircraft was on an engineering flight when the incident happened.
All seven PAF personnel also died when a UH-1H Huey helicopter accidentally crashed in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon on January 16, 2021. The victims were on a re-supply mission when the pilot lost control of the aircraft.
On Sept. 16, 2020, an S76 Sikorsky helicopter crashed in Lantawan, Basilan which killed four military personnel. Onboard were a pilot, a co-pilot, and two flight crew members who were supposed to airlift a soldier who was hit by a mine blast when it went down. Investigators initially said that the accident must have occured due to bad weather.
Lastly, four PAF personnel also perished when a UH-1D Huey helicopter crashed within the vicinity of Cauayan Air Station in Cauayan, Isabela on July 23, 2020. The victims were on a night flight proficiency training when the incident happened.