Headless body of PAF pilot found in Bataan

Manila, Philippines -  A headless body, reportedly belonging to a member of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) whose plane crashed three months ago, was recovered in Bataan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday.

According to PCG spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo, the cadaver of PAF Major Neil Tumaneng was found by fishermen last Sunday afternoon, or about three months after the plane crash incident.

Although the PCG has no new information on the other missing co-pilot, 1Lt. Michael Arugay, Balilo said, “There is a possibility that he (Arugay) is still in the area.”

Based on the initial information relayed by PCG-Mariveles station commander Lieutenant Commander Ernesto Nuez, fishermen on board the F/B Bakery were fishing in the vicinity of La Monja Island when they found the headless body of a man wearing a green flight suit in their fishing net at around 5:05 p.m. on Aug 19. 

Balilo said a parachute was also strapped to the body, which was in an advance stage of decomposition.

The body was brought to the Yambao funeral parlor in Mariveles and to the Mariveles Police Station for a postmortem examination.

PAF spokesman Col. Miguel Okol said Tumaneng’s identity was confirmed through the markings found in the oversea cap and the uniform patches.

After the examination, the cadaver was turned over to the 15th Strike Wing in Sangley Point, Cavite City for proper disposition.

Meanwhile, PAF chief Lt. Gen. Lauro de la Cruz has ordered full military honors to be given to Tumaneng, whose remains will be brought to the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. 

Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, a classmate of Tumaneng in the Philippine Military Academy, described the late pilot as “low-profile” and “professional.” Tumaneng was a member of PMA Masikhay class ’99. Tumaneng and Arugay were on board the SF-260 trainer aircraft that crashed near Mariveles last May 18 while conducting a proficiency flight.

The aircraft, which was acquired in 1994, took off from Sangley Point, Cavite at 6:52 a.m. and was reported missing minutes past 7 a.m. 

It crashed off La Monja Island in Cavite near Mariveles, Bataan. 

Among the debris found in the crash site were a helmet, fuel tank and plane seat.

Immediately after the crash, the PAF and the PCG conducted a search and rescue mission but they failed to find any survivors. – With Alexis Romero