CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Philippine Air Force 1st Lieutenant April John “AJ” Dadulla was just two weeks away from marrying a fellow military pilot when tragedy struck. He and his co-pilot died when their FA‑50 fighter jet crashed on the slope of Mount Kalatungan in Miayaron, Talakag in Bukidnon past midnight on Tuesday, March 4.
The 29-year-old Dadulla, from Purok 7, Barangay Alae in Manolo Fortich town, Bukidnon, had his heart set on a future of love and service.
“He had dreams and was determined. He cared deeply for his family and was excited about his upcoming wedding,” said Jovenel, Dadulla’s elder brother.
Jovenel recalled that before the fateful mission, his brother texted him to ask about the weather in Bukidnon. He later expressed regret for not being able to respond.
“He was incredibly caring especially after our mother died, and every year he would ask me which home project we could undertake together,” he told Cagayan de Oro-based broadcaster Magnum Radio on Wednesday, March 5.
Weeks before the crash, Dadulla and his fiancée, 1st Lieutenant Alyssa Coleen Columbino, had completed their pre‑nuptial photo and video shoot in Zambales. Their pre-wedding photos and videos provided a glimpse of a happy future they had planned together – a promising life that was tragically cut short during Tuesday’s mission.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy and the PAF Officer Candidate School, Dadulla had earned the respect of colleagues and loved ones alike with his steadfast commitment to duty and protecting his country.
Earlier this week, he co-piloted the FA‑50 fighter jet that took off from the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu, a flight from which he would never return.
While on the tactical operation, Dadulla and his companion, Major Jude Salang-oy, lost contact with the pilots of another jet some 40 nautical miles from their target. In the dead of night, the jet crashed into the rugged terrain near the peak of Mount Kalatungan.
Soldiers, along with local volunteers and forest guards, braved muddy trails and inclement weather to locate the crash site. By late Wednesday night, their charred remains had been recovered and taken to a mortuary in Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro.
In one of Dadulla’s final acts of planning for his and his fiancée’s future, real estate agent Merasol Adlawan said Dadulla had sent her the reservation fee for a housing unit in Cagayan de Oro. She explained that the funds were transferred to her account because the young PAF officer was very busy at that time.
For Dadulla’s fiancée, Alyssa, the loss is immeasurable, moving her to post on her Facebook page: “I am so proud of you, my love. You will always be in my heart. I love you and till we meet again, love.”
Tributes have also poured in from friends, family, and colleagues who remembered Dadulla for his dedication and service.
“It was an honor to capture the love between you (Dadulla) and Alyssa Columbino during your prenup session. Though we never had the chance to document your wedding, the moments we preserved stand as a testament to your love, joy, and devotion,” said Teodi Mark Yambot, who the couple had contracted as their wedding photographer.
Yambot told Rappler that the couple staged their pre-wedding photo and video shoot in Zambales, with plans to tie the knot at the storied Our Lady of Manaoag Church in Pangasinan on March 15.
Another group helping to plan the wedding said Dadulla’s “eagerness for his upcoming marriage…were evident to all who knew him.” – Rappler.com