Hometowns honor PAF pilots killed in Batangas collision

IN MEMORIAM In this photo taken on Sunday, Capt. Raymart Cabangcala’s nephew, Gabrielle Luke Alvarez, holds the fallen pilot’s portrait as the family prepares their home for the arrival of his remains. —YOLANDA SOTELO

URDANETA CITY—Residents of Barangay Catablan here are mourning Capt. Raymart Cabangcala, their village’s first Philippine Military Academy graduate, who was among four Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots killed in a midair collision in Batangas on Oct. 23.

Cabangcala’s mother, Myrna, 66, told the Inquirer that her son had big dreams for his family and community.

Catablan village chief Ismael Zabala said the village was preparing a necrological service for when Cabangcala’s remains arrive at the family home on Friday, Oct. 30.

Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico III and third district Rep. Rachel Arenas had also inquired about the preparations, Zabala said.

Cabangcala graduated as valedictorian of Catablan Integrated School and cum laude from the Pangasinan University of the North before entering the military academy in 2016.

In Cagayan, Bernadette mourned her husband, 1st Lt. Angeleo Adrian Peñaflor of Iguig.

‘Greatest love’

“When you take away my greatest love, you might as well take my soul with you,” she wrote on Facebook.

Peñaflor’s wake was scheduled at the Fernando Air Base mortuary from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, followed by services at Ortiz Memorial Chapel in Tuguegarao City from Oct. 27 to Oct. 30.

The Cagayan provincial government and Cagayan State University also paid tribute to Peñaflor, who graduated as class valedictorian and magna cum laude in information technology in 2018.

The two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas. The PAF has not publicly identified the two other pilots killed in the collision.

According to the PAF, it temporarily grounded its SF-260 fleet while investigating the incident.