The FA-50 fighter jet crash in Bukidnon has left the family of 1Lt April John “AJ” Dadulla in shock after receiving confirmation of his death.
The Dadulla family initially held onto hope after reports surfaced that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) had lost contact with the fighter jet in Northern Mindanao airspace.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo, Jovenel Dadulla, the pilot’s older sibling, shared that they refused to give up hope and believed that AJ and his co-pilot, Major Jude Salang-oy, might have survived despite the PAF’s initial statements.
However, their worst fears were confirmed when AJ’s fiancée, a fellow PAF officer, informed them that he had been officially declared dead.
Jovenel admitted that while it is painful to lose a loved one in the line of duty, their family is trying to accept the harsh reality as part of the risks of a soldier’s life.
The family initially kept the news from AJ’s father, a stroke survivor, fearing that he was not yet ready to handle the grief, especially after losing his wife in previous years.