Teodoro condemns ‘sarcastic, inhuman’ remarks on fatal PAF aircraft crash

MANILA — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday condemned sarcastic and insensitive remarks about the Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft accident in Batangas that killed four pilots, calling them an insult to the sacrifices of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Nakalulungkot na mayroon pang mga sarcastic and inhuman comments na nailalabas doon. Ito ay unacceptable talaga at ito ay sampal sa sakripisyo na ginagawa ng ating Sandatahang Lakas,” Teodoro told reporters on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 13th Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centers Annual General Meeting in Makati City.

He criticized comments questioning how two aircraft could collide despite the vastness of the sky, saying these reflected a lack of understanding of military aviation.

“Meron pang nagmamagaling na sinasabing ang lawak-lawak ng himpapawid, nagbanggaan pa raw. Katunayan, nagpapakita lang ito ng kamangmangan,” he said.

“Unang-una, military training iyan. Ang tactical skill ng isang military aviator ay formation flying. Pasikipan iyan. Unang benepisyo rito kapag masikip ang formation ang radar target nito ay lumiliit,” the defense chief said. “Ngayon, sinasanay mo yan bago pa mag-graduate ang isang pilot trainee kasi military flying ‘yan.”

Teodoro stressed that military flying is inherently dangerous, particularly in tactical environments and at high speeds.

“Di ko sinasabing walang mali sa nangyari—may investigation. Pero ito ang backdrop dito—that is the difference between military training and civilian pilot training,” he said.

Teodoro also rejected comparisons between the accident and the Philippines’ ability to defend itself against China, stressing that Manila is not seeking war but is only standing up for its territory and sovereignty.

“Para ang iba na magko-comment na dito pa lang, ganito na, paano pa sa China? Unang-una, hindi natin ginigiyera ang China, mali na ‘yun. Kamangmangan na ‘yun. ‘Yun nga lang, tumatayo tayo para sa soberanya at teritoryo natin,” he said.

“Pangalawa, sa kabila ng sakripisyo nitong mga batang ito—‘yung iba nawalan pa ng anak nila o magulang nila—ganyan pa ang maririnig… Ito ay katraydoran na rin sa Republika ng Pilipinas at hindi karapat-dapat tawaging Pilipino ang mga nagsasalita ng ganito sa kabila ng may namatay,” he added.

Teodoro has ordered an investigation into the incident, noting that it was the third such occurrence and raising the possibility of a systemic problem.

The official said investigators would examine maintenance records, preserve salvageable aircraft parts, review the pilots’ past performance, and conduct toxicology testing if samples remained available.

“Mati-trace ang maintenance records, kung may hiccup or wala. Kung ganon na delikado na rin ang eroplano, eh di lahat ng lumang vehicles na rin sa kalsada, huwag na rin natin iparehistro. Mga lumang barko, iretiro na rin natin. Mas luma pa nga ang trainers ng ibang armed forces. It doesn’t depend on the age. Although, of course, valid din ang point na kailangan mag-upgrade na tayo. Pero ayokong pangunahan ang imbestigasyon,” Teodoro noted.

He went on, “Preservation ng mga piyesa, mga masa-salvage. Hahalughugin ang records. Titingnan ang past performances ng mga piloto na involved. Itotoxicology pa iyan kung meron pang pwedeng maiwan.”

“Pero sa akin, yung full accident investigation under the Air Force Safety Office ay nandudoon, at kung kailangan ng technical expertise sa ibang mga ahensya or sa partner countries, ito ay bukas,” he said.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of National Defense (DND) mourned the deaths of the four pilots and said the investigation would determine the cause and identify corrective measures to prevent similar tragedies.

The accident occurred on October 23 during a training flight involving two SF-260 aircraft at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas.

Both aircraft went down within the base perimeter, with no other casualties reported.

The PAF temporarily grounded its SF-260 fleet as a precaution while the investigation continued.

The incident followed another fatal SF-260 crash in Benguet in May, which killed two military pilots during a training flight.