By VICTOR REYES and
ANTHONY IAN CRUZ
Malaya
January 8, 2008
AIR Force chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog on Monday dismissed speculations that the missing S211 plane that disappeared last Nov. 26 while on maritime patrol off the disputed Spratly Islands had been shot down by hostile forces.
“Definitely not shot down. Very remote,” Cadungog said of the still missing aircraft which had been dispatched from Puerto Princesa to look for fishermen whose boat had capsized in the Spratlys.
The Spratlys, said to be rich in oil and mineral deposits, are being claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Cadungog said it was more likely that the plane piloted by Capts. Bonifacio Soriano II and Gavino Mercado Jr. crashed. “But this is just our theory based on history of similar cases and experiences,” he added.
Air Force personnel who know Mercado (Philippine Military Academy 1999) and Soriano (PMA 2000) have demanded an inquiry into the two pilots’ fate, charging the military’s top brass with “ineptness” and “corruption” and hinting that the jet had been shot down.
Another S211 jet which flew in tandem with the missing one returned to Puerto Princesa City hours after their dispatch. Officials initially said the missing jet encountered thick clouds which could have disoriented the pilots plus the communications were cut off.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Manila yesterday denied involvement in the disappearance of the jet, saying rumors that it had been shot down were “malicious and completely and totally untrue.”
Embassy spokesman Peng Xiubin said his government has no knowledge about what happened to the jet and where it is now.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Claro Cristobal said they have not received any request from the PAF to communicate with the Chinese and Vietnamese embassies regarding the issue.
International law expert Harry Roque said government must take steps to find out what happened to the jet and the pilots. He said even “mere suspicion” that China or Vietnam is involved is enough reason for the DFA to move. “Any acquiesence on the part of the Philippine government will bolster the territorial claims of both China and Vietnam,” Roque added.
Cadungog said the search for the missing jet will continue until the aircraft and the pilots are found. “This is our responsibility and we must perform the search efforts no matter how difficult. The pilot corps, by our unique tradition, would not allow anyone of us to just be (declared) missing without looking for them. We are looking for our missing comrades no matter how long it takes,” he added.