Another Heroic Filipino Lost

The Philippines lost another unsung hero. A breaking news from the Philippine Daily Inquirer indicated that Philippine Air Force pilot Captain Aniano Amatong could have saved himself had he ejected himself out of the troubled AV-10 Bronco twin engine. However, when he realized the plane will crash into a residential area, he opted to steer the plane to a swamp.

Surely, you do not expect the same degree of heroism from our "esteemed politicians" who have lived by the tenets of lying, cheating and stealing. Had it been these politicians, they would have ejected on the first hint of trouble.

I'll post here the news report to keep a memory of genuine Filipino heroism:

Pilot killed as he steers ailing plane away from houses

(3RD UPDATE) BULACAN -- An Air Force pilot crashed to his death Tuesday when he chose to steer away a distressed bomber plane from a residential area instead of parachuting to safety, a military official said.

The twin-engine OV-10 was heading to a military exercise carrying two officers when it crashed into a fishpond at 9 a.m. in Paombong town, Bulacan province, some 47 kilometers north of Manila, Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Restituto Padilla said.

But instead of ejecting himself from his seat, Captain Aniano Amatong, 31, apparently struggled to steer the troubled plane away from houses after ordering his co-pilot to eject, Padilla said.

"Amatong did not eject purposely, according to witnesses, and tried to avoid hitting populated areas," Padilla said. "This is heroism in the highest order."

His co-pilot, Captain James Acosta, parachuted to safety before the attack plane crash landed in the vicinity of Dinakot village, Padilla said.

The plane took off from an air base in Sangley Point, in Cavite province, at around 8:46 a.m. and was on its way to Clark Field in Pampanga province for military exercises with American troops, he said.

"The cause of the crash is still to be determined,” Padilla said. “A rescue helicopter was immediately dispatched by Lieutenant General Jose Reyes, the commanding general of the Philippine Air Force."

Villagers reported seeing one of the engines emitting smoke before the aircraft plunged and exploded, Padilla said. TV footage showed parts of the plane jutting out of the sprawling fishpond.

The OV-10 has become the main fighter plane of the Philippine Air Force after it decommissioned its F-5 fighter jets in October 2005.

They are used for reconnaissance and bombing missions during counterinsurgency operations mostly in the southern region of Mindanao, where government troops are battling communist and Muslim guerrillas.

Air force chief Lieutenant General Jose L. Reyes ordered the grounding of the entire OV-10 fleet after the accident.

The Philippine military is among Asia's weakest and partly depends on allies like the United States to help train and arm its troops.