By Ronron
December 5, 2007
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) remains hopeful that their two pilots who went missing with an AS-211 jet last November 26 in Palawan are still alive.
This, even as there are still no confirmed reports of sightings of Captains Gabino Mercado, Jr. and Bonifacio Soriano III, as well as their jet since the incident happened.
“There has been no positive sighting, both of the pilots and the aircraft. But we are hoping against hope. We remain positive,” PAF spokesman Lt. Col. Epifanio Panzo, Jr. told Defense reporters Wednesday in a phone interview.
“We are not losing hope that we will be able to see them alive,” he added.
Panzo said Navy and Air Force stations in the Spratly’s continue to locate the missing jet aircraft as of yesterday.
“The search is still ongoing and Air Force officials and local authorities in Palawan keep in touch with PAF headquarters for the latest developments,” Panzo said in a statement.
The AS-211 was one of two aircrafts that left Puerto Princesa City, Palawan in the morning of November 26 to help in the search operations for missing Filipino fishermen off Palawan.
It was last contacted by its buddy aircraft two hours after the takeoff, or shortly before 10:30 am, approximately 15 nautical miles south east of Pag-asa Island.
The buddy aircraft returned base past 11 am without the other. When it still failed to return at around 12:45 pm, it was already declared missing because of the fact that an AS-211 can only fly for a maximum of four hours.
The incident happened at the time when the country was experiencing severe weather disturbances brought about by tropical cyclones “Mina” and “Lando.”/DMS
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