The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Thursday said the retrieval operations for the remains of the FA-50 pilots involved in a plane crash in Bukidnon last Tuesday are ongoing.

“They are still in the process of retrieval, there’s a continuous process of retrieval. Remember, we are talking of two remains,”PAF spokesperson Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo told reporters in an ambush interview at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The retrieval operations are being conducted by the search and rescue teams from the PAF in tandem with the Special Forces of the Philippine Army in Mount Kalatungan, Bukidnon.

Castillo said the retrieved remains will still have to undergo forensic examinations in Cagayan de Oro City before being flown to Manila for military honors.

“And then at the same time, we are planning for the transfer of the remains to Villamor Air Base either tomorrow or Saturday, as soon as the remains are ready, so that we can give appropriate honors to our dear departed,” she said.

Castillo cited the importance of forensic examination, which will be processed within a day, as a crucial part of the investigation.

“Admittedly, you know, this is a different kind of accident. Just imagine it's an aircraft accident involving a high-speed aircraft that went down into a mountain,” she said. 

“So we could just imagine probably the state of the bodies. We would not want to delve into the details, but we have to make sure that—whatever remains that we got from the pilots, is from the pilots that we identified in addition,” she pressed on. 

Castillo refused to provide details on the state of the pilots’ bodies.

“That we cannot confirm as of yet, because we have to wait for the result of the forensics examination,” she told reporters. 

She noted that the PAF is in constant coordination with the bereaved families of the pilots.

“The final internment details, weight details are not yet finalized, but what we can confirm is that the Philippine Air Force, in coordination with the family, will be bringing in the remains of our aircrew in Villamor Air Base by tomorrow or Saturday morning,” Castillo added. 

Meanwhile, Castillo addressed the reason why the PAF has not yet officially confirmed the identity of the pilots.

“Yes, we are aware that there are already several posts online from different personalities and organizations declaring the names and identities of our aircrew. However, the Philippine Air Force has not released any official data regarding our aircrew. This is because we would want to make sure that all the necessary forensic procedures are done before we confirm the identity of the pilots,” she said. 

She further vouched for the abilities and qualifications of the two pilots in operating the PAF’s jet fighters prior to the incident.

“Well, as far as their profile are concerned, we can assure you that our pilots are very proficient and competent pilots, they’ve been flying this aircraft for several years. They are well-trained for day and night operations and we honor them for their service and heroism,” Castillo said.

Struggles in mountainous terrain

In a related development, Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) spokesperson Lt. Col. Francisco Garello explained the pilots’ cadavers were transported on foot from the crash site, as responders could not use a vehicle in the timberland.

Garello said the crash site is approximately a five- to six-hour walk from the pickup point in Pangantucan, Bukidnon.

The PAF confirmed the FA-50 fighter jet, with tail number 002, went missing early Tuesday morning during a tactical night operation in support of ground troops.

Castillo said the aircraft lost communication with the rest of the flight involved in the mission minutes before reaching the target area around midnight.

The lead aircraft made several attempts to re-establish contact with the missing aircraft until it returned to Mactan, Cebu.

Further, Castillo declined to provide any details about the incident, citing the need to await the results of a thorough investigation.

“Right now, because the investigation is still ongoing, we cannot conclusively say what happened — if they ran or if they fell or if there was an engine hit, these are all speculations that we can only verify after a comprehensive investigation has been done,” she said. 

The PAF has temporarily grounded its entire FA-50 fleet pending the result of the investigation.

Additionally, Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro stated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for an immediate investigation into the incident involving the FA-50 fighter jet.

“Agarang imbestigasyon din po ang inutos ng ating Pangulo diyan (The President has also ordered an immediate investigation on that matter),” Castro said at a press briefing on Thursday.