Lipa City:Manila Malacañang has honored the four Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots who were killed in a midair collision during a training flight near Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas. The tragic incident occurred last week and involved two aircraft.
According to Philippines News Agency, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto visited the wake of Maj. David Joshua Rojo, Capt. Ma. Melvin Acebuque, and 1st Lt. Angeleo Adrian Penaflor at Fernando Air Base on Monday to offer condolences to their grieving families. On the same day, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. attended the wake of Capt. Raymart Cabangcala at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to pay his respects.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Recto emphasized that the service and sacrifice of the pilots would not be forgotten by the Filipino people. He expressed the sentiment that no speech could alleviate the pain of such a loss, and no award could replace the presence of loved ones. Recto assured the families of the government's continued support during their time of mourning.
The accident involved two SF-260 Marchetti trainer aircraft colliding midair on October 23, resulting in the deaths of all four pilots. In response to the incident, the PAF has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of SF-260 aircraft, which are primarily used for pilot training and aerobatic flying.
