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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos orders probe on crashed FA50 jet

Marcos orders probe on crashed FA50 jet

Published Mar 6, 2025 05:31 am

At A Glance

  • The two pilots onboard the fighter jet were found dead inside the crashed aircraft by dispatched search and rescue (SAR) teams from the Special Forces, according to Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom).

President Marcos has ordered an investigation into the FA-50 fighter jet that crashed in Bukidnon this week, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Mark Balmores)
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Mark Balmores/File photo)

Castro said this after the military located the aircraft's wreckage at the Mt. Kalatungan mountain range in Bukidnon after it was reported missing.

In a press briefing on Thursday, March 6, the Palace official said the President wanted to get to the bottom of the unfortunate incident.

"Talaga pong pinamamadali po ng ating Pangulo ang maagarang pag-iimbesitiga po dito kung saan nagkamali at kung ano pa ang maaaring maging remedyo sa mga ganitong klaseng pangyayari (The President is truly rushing the immediate investigation into this matter to determine where the mistake occurred and what remedies can still be applied to this kind of situation)," she said.

"Ang ating damdamin po patungkol diyan ay nakakalungkot po kapag nangyayari sa atin ito (We are saddened by these kinds of incidents)," she added.

The two pilots onboard the fighter jet were found dead inside the crashed aircraft by dispatched search and rescue (SAR) teams from the Special Forces, according to Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom).

Their identities were withheld pending notice to their families.

“The aircraft was a total wreck,” Bergante said. The crashed aircraft has a tail number of "002", among the first FA50s delivered to the PAF in 2015.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that the FA-50 fighter jet provided air support to ground troops who were running after New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Bukidnon. Local media reported that clashes erupted in the town of Cabanglasan, eastern part of Bukidnon, on Tuesday midnight.

This was also the reason why the PAF could not immediately divulge the possible location of the fighter jet on Tuesday, as they wanted government rescuers to reach the possible crash site before the rebels.

Related Tags

Bongbong Marcos claire castro President Marcos fa-50
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