Plane with 7 men aboard goes missing in Isabela

MANILA, Philippines - A private airplane carrying seven people including a policeman went missing while en route to the remote northeastern town of Maconacon in Isabela Thursday morning, the Philippine National Police reported. Chief Supt. Roberto Damian, PNP regional director for Cagayan Valley, said the Chemtrad plane with tail number 764 left Tuguegarao airport in Cagayan province past 8 a.m. But six hours after it took off, the aircraft still has not arrived at its destination, raising fears that it might have crashed. “Said airplane didn’t reach its destination as of this report," Damian said in a message to Camp Crame, the PNP national headquarters. Jose Sablan of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said it would only take a 30-minute ride to reach Isabela from Cagayan. “Nung hindi dumating ang aircraft they called back Tuguegarao and we learned that they did not make it [When the plane did not arrive as expected, authorities tried calling up the Tuguegarao airport and confirmed that the craft had already left]," Sablan said. “We are preparing for the worst scenario. There is an airstrip in Valley Cove," Damian said, adding that the Air Transport Office (ATO) has not responded to their queries so far. Damian identified the plane’s pilot as Capt. Tomas Z. Yaňez and co-pilot as Capt. Reiner Ruiz. The passengers included SPO2 Rolly Castaňos, Celestino Salacup, Abelardo Baggay, Joel Basilio and James Bakilan. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV