Lipa City:Makati City Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. condemned the "sarcastic and inhuman" social media comments that belittled the deaths of four military pilots during an air mishap in Lipa City, Batangas, on October 23. In an interview, Teodoro expressed his disapproval of comments questioning the professionalism and skill of the fallen pilots, labeling them unacceptable.
According to Philippines News Agency, Teodoro criticized the netizens' lack of knowledge in military aviation, emphasizing the importance of formation flying in military training. He explained that a key tactical skill for military aviators is mastering tight formation flying, which reduces radar detection and is a critical component of pilot training.
Teodoro further remarked that those responsible for the unkind comments are unworthy to be called Filipinos. Meanwhile, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered a thorough investigation into the mid-air collision at Fernando Air Base, marking the third incident involving the SF-260 trainer aircraft. Previous crashes occurred in Benguet in May and in Bataan in January 2023, also resulting in the deaths of four pilots.
