CAMP MARCELO A ADDURU, Tuguegarao City -- The Philippine National Police-Isabela and the Regional Mobile force Company (RMFB) 2 have involved more men in the continuing search, rescue and retrieval operation for the missing Cessna 206 plane.
The single-engine 206 aircraft, with five passengers on board, took off from Cauayan, Isabela on Tuesday for an hour-long trip but never reached its destination in Maconacon, Isabela.
Authorities feared the plane might have gone astray since it was taking the route across Sierra Madre mountain range where the weather at that time, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), was not ideal, especially for small aircraft.
The Isabela Police Provincial Office, 1st Isabela Provincial Mobile Force Company, SAR Team of Divilacan Police Station, Maconacon Police Station and 201st Company, RMFB2 joined forces to trace the possible landing route of the plane.
Based on the report of the Incident Command Center of PRO2 led by Incident Commander Lawyer Constante Foronda, PDRRMO, Isabela, there are 44 PNP personnel who have been deployed in the SRR operation in the said area.
An additional 32 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and 21 from the MDRRMO have also joined the search. The SRR Teams of Divilacan and Maconacon Police Stations were deployed in Docorayan, Divilacan, Isabela.
The 95th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army; Bureau of Fire Protection, PDRRMO and MDRRMO Divilacan have also joined the effort, according to Police Captain Scarlette M Topinio, Public Information Officer of the Isabela PPO.
(Liezle Basa Inigo)