MANILA, Philippines — Demanding accountability and elevated safety metrics for the country’s military aviators, a prominent lawmaker is pushing for an exhaustive review of state training assets. Senator Loren Legarda formally called for a thorough legislative and military investigation into the recent Philippine Air Force (PAF) trainer plane crash in Benguet that claimed the lives of two young pilots.
The call for an inquiry highlights a recurring national concern over the aging state of training aircraft and the structural safety nets guaranteed to military personnel during active flight operations.
The crash occurred during a routine military long-range navigation training flight that encountered catastrophic failure over the mountainous terrain of northern Luzon:
[SF-260 Left Fernando Air Base, Batangas] ──► Part of an 11-Aircraft Formation En Route to Baguio │ ▼ (Wednesday, May 20, 2026: The Crash)[Catastrophic Impact on Mt. Sto Tomas] ◄── Aircraft Tail No. 10-39 Goes Down in Tuba, Benguet │ ▼ [Both Military Officers Succumb to Multiple Injuries]
The aircraft—a Marchetti SF-260 trainer plane with tail number 10-39—was part of a larger formation of 11 planes that departed Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas. At approximately 10:20 AM on Wednesday, May 20, the aircraft went down in the dense, mountainous terrain of Sitio Cabuyao, Barangay Poblacion in Tuba, Benguet.
Local responders, including the Benguet Police, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and disaster management units, located the wreckage and pulled the two pilots out unconscious. Though rushed to a hospital in Baguio City, both succumbed to multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the impact.
The PAF officially entered a period of mourning for the two young officers, both assigned to the military’s elite Pilot Training Program:
[ FALLEN OFFICERS CRADLE DECK ]
│
┌────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ FIRST LIEUTENANT ] [ SECOND LIEUTENANT ]
• **First Lieutenant Ruth Angelique R. Pasos** • **Second Lieutenant Cherky E. Embudo**
• Recognized by colleagues as a highly capable, pioneering female • Honored as a dedicated young officer who committed the prime
aviator within the military's specialized flight program. of his life to national territorial defense.
In a public statement released on Monday, Senator Legarda emphasized that the state must offer more than mere sentimentality when military personnel perish in the line of duty:
“Our soldiers and pilots stand ever ready to lay down their lives for the nation. In return, the Republic owes them far more than fleeting words of gratitude. We owe them the highest standards of protection, training, and equipment, so they may serve with courage and return home safely.” — Senator Loren Legarda
| Investigation Focus Area | Active Safety Mandates & Ground Progress | Strategic Long-Term Target |
| Root Cause Isolation | Evaluating mechanical failures, structural fatigue, or sudden high-altitude weather anomalies over Benguet. | Prevents future training cluster losses and safeguards active air units. |
| Fleet Airworthiness | The PAF has temporarily grounded its entire operational fleet of 16 SF-260 training aircraft pending safety audits. | Identifies systemic maintenance lapses across the military’s legacy inventory. |
The tragedy has amplified long-standing legislative debates regarding the pace and funding of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Act. Critics and defense analysts note that while billions have been funneled into acquiring front-line fighter jets and maritime patrol assets, foundational training fleets like the SF-260 platforms require identical logistical backing.
As technical teams comb through the wreckage on Mt. Sto Tomas, Legarda maintained that Congress will back a transparent audit—asserting that the ultimate sacrifice of Pasos and Embudo must drive structural reforms in how the state equips its future defenders.