The Philippine Air Force (PAF) held departure honors for four airmen who perished in the crash of a Super Huey helicopter in Loreto, Agusan del Sur on November 4, 2025.
The victims were identified as Capt. Paulie Dumagan of Makati City, 2nd Lt. Royce Louis Camigla of Pasig City, Sgt. John Christopher Golfo of Noveleta, Cavite, and A1C Ericson Merico of Real, Quezon.
Their remains were flown aboard a C-130 aircraft and received at Villamor Air Base, where pallbearers—former classmates of the deceased—carried the caskets while wearing black ribbons as a sign of mourning.
PAF Commanding General Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura led the ceremony and awarded the Distinguished Aviation Cross posthumously to the fallen airmen, all members of the 505th Search and Rescue Wing.
The helicopter was deployed as part of a four-aircraft formation conducting a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) mission following Typhoon Tino, tasked with delivering aid and conducting rapid damage assessments.
According to PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Cristina Basco, the Super Huey lost communication mid-flight while en route to Tactical Operations Group 10 in Butuan City.
Witnesses in Barangay Sabud, Loreto, reported seeing the helicopter’s tail section on fire before it crashed, suggesting a possible mechanical failure.
The aircraft, a refurbished model acquired in 2011 from the United States, had undergone regular maintenance and was deemed airworthy prior to the mission.
The Super Huey was operated by two pilots and four crew members from the PAF’s Search and Rescue Group, the unit responsible for first response in calamity relief efforts.
The Eastern Mindanao Command confirmed that all six personnel aboard—including two additional airmen not named in the Villamor ceremony—were killed in the incident.
The remains of Sgt. Yves Sijub and Airman Ameer Apion were honored separately in Davao City, with Apion’s body transported to Zamboanga for traditional Muslim burial rites.
PAF assured that the families of the fallen will receive six months’ worth of salary and full support from the military institution.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the crash, with technical and operational factors under review by Air Force and Scene of the Crime Operatives.