2 members of Army rescue team for crashed Cessna plane killed in Albay ambush

From Rappler (Feb 21, 2023): 2 members of Army rescue team for crashed Cessna plane killed in Albay ambush (By DARCIE DE GALICIA)

After several attempts to reach the crash site on February 21, the search and rescue team of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines find the wreckage of the aircraft on the western slope of Mayon Volcano

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on Monday morning, February 20 killed two members of a Philippine Army rescue team on a mission to find a crashed Cessna plane in Albay province.

A statement by the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) based in Lucena City identified the slain soldiers as Pvt. John Paul Adalim and Pvt. Mark June Esico, members of the Army’s 31st Infantry Battalion.

The both died instantly due to bullet wounds in different parts of the body, the statement said.

The SOLCOM said the two soldiers were at the market in Barangay Cotmon, Camalig town to resupply their unit’s needs when five armed men ambushed them around 7 a.m.

Esico’s father, Emmanuel, condemned the attack while Adalim’s relatives called for justice.

Major General Adonis Bajao, Commander of the 9th Infantry (Spear) Division and Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB) said that the ambush was a desperate move by the NPA because of the successive accomplishments of the 9ID in Bicol region against insurgents.
CAAP finds aircraft

A day after the ambush, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said search and rescue (SAR) personnel found the wreckage of the Cessna 340 (Caravan) aircraft (RP-C2080), on the west side slope of Mayon Volcano.

The wreckage, spotted at an elevation of 3500-4000 ft. was identified with the use a high resolution camera, a CAAP statement said.

“As of now, the condition of the crew and passengers are not yet known as the exact site has not yet been reached by the SAR team due to bad weather,” the statement said.

BICOL MISSION. Search and rescue (SAR) operation crew on February 21 managed to positively identify the missing Cessna 340 (Caravan) aircraft (RP-C2080) that went missing on Saturday, 18 February 2023, on the west side of Mayon Volcano in Albay. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

The SAR search and rescue team launched three attempts in the morning of February 21 to reach the wreckage site, using a Philippine Air Force (PAF) Black Hawk helicopter and a Philippine Navy AW109 aircraft.

The Cessna 340 plane, which is operated by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) went missing Saturday morning, February 18, shortly after taking off from the Bicol International Airport (BIA).

Officials said the last contact with the place was around 6:48 a.m., which was 32 kilometers from the airport and flying at 2,600 ft.

The CAAP Aviation Records Management Division (ARMD) database said the aircraft was compliant with CAAP’s airworthiness certification.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/luzon/members-rescue-team-missing-cessna-plan-killed-ambush-albay-february-20-2023/