As if the heavens were in tears, a few hours before the expected arrival of a Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft carrying the remains of fallen fighter pilots Maj. Jude Salang-Oy and 1st Lt. April John Dadulla, rain poured down on Manila on Saturday.

According to the PAF, the aircraft carrying the remains of Salang-Oy and Dadulla left Lumba Airfield, Cagayan de Oro City at 13:22 military time or 1:22 p.m.

This was a day after rescuers retrieved the bodies of the two pilots from Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon.

On 4 March, the FA-50 jet they were flying crashed during a tactical night operation in support of ground troops in the mountains.

The remains of the airmen were airlifted by a C-130 aircraft to Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, arriving around 3 p.m.

A PAF honor guard gave Salang-Oy and Dadulla solemn arrival rites at Villamor’s Base Operations.

The immediate families and relatives of the two pilots were accompanied by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner, and Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was supposed to lead the arrival honors but was unable to attend due to an urgent matter. Lagdameo represented Marcos.

Salang-Oy and Dadulla were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Aviation Cross, the highest aviation-related award bestowed on the men and women of the Philippine Air Force.

Investigation ongoing

In an interview, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said investigators were still probing the crash site looking into what might have caused the accident.

“At the moment, the investigation is ongoing. In fact, our probers from the Philippine Air Force walked almost the entire day up Mt. Kalatungan to look at the crash site. At the same time, even before they climbed the mountain, there was already an investigation at their headquarters,” she said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was supposed to lead the arrival honors but was unable to attend due to an urgent matter. Lagdameo represented Marcos

She added that the President, as well as the PAF top brass, have ordered a thorough investigation.

Vigil for the fallen

Following their arrival at Villamor, Castillo said a vigil would be held at the air base for one day, and then the remains would be transferred to Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga for another vigil with their fellow airmen.

After this, the PAF will let the families hold their own vigil and other activities.

“It will be up to the families to decide on where the remaining days of vigil and the internment services will be held,” Castillo said.