Tanay, April 8 -- The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is committed to further strengthening its safety protocols and fostering excellence in every mission through a more robust organizational safety culture, its spokesperson said Tuesday.

Speaking at a press briefing at the 2nd Infantry Division's headquarters in Camp Mateo Capinpin in Sampaloc, Tanay, Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said a "confluence of factors" led to the fatal crash of one of the PAF's FA-50PH fighter jets in Mount Kalatungan, Bukidnon on March 4, which killed two military pilots.

"The thorough investigation points to a confluence of factors, including the inherent risk of night flying over mountainous terrain combined with the complexity of multi-aircraft combat operations,"...