CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) honored two brave pilots of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday (05 Mar 2025), following the discovery of their fighter jet wreckage and remains in Bukidnon province.
Major Jude Salang-oy and 1st Lieutenant April John Dadulla were piloting the ill-fated FA-50PH fighter jet, which went missing shortly after takeoff from Mactan, Cebu, in the early hours of March 4. The jet had been deployed in a mission to provide air support to ground troops engaged in combat with communist rebels.
The wreckage of the aircraft, along with the pilots’ remains, was found in the rugged terrain of Mount Kalatungan, located near the boundary of Pangantucan and Talakag towns. This discovery was confirmed by Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson Lt. Col. Salvacion Evangelista.
Lt. Col. Francisco Garello, head of the 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, confirmed that the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the 403rd Infantry Brigade had been assigned to recover the remains. He added, “Once the bodies are recovered from the crash site, they will be transported to a nearby landing zone, where a PAF helicopter will airlift them.”
Both Salang-oy, a delegate at the 2023 International Aerospace Symposium in South Korea, and Dadulla, a native of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, are mourned by their families, friends, and fellow service members. Their sacrifices were honored by the PAF and the broader military community.
In response to the tragic incident, the Philippine Air Force has grounded its FA-50 fleet and pledged a full investigation into the cause of the crash.
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