Malabed's remains to be repatriated on February 20 — PNP

The remains of Police Colonel Pergentino “Bong” Malabed Jr., who was among the fatalities in an air collision in Washington D.C., is expected to arrive in the country February 20, Thursday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

At a press briefing, PNP public information office acting chief Police Colonel Randulf Tuaño said he received the information from Malabed’s partner.

“Ang officially doon sa usapan kanina dapat po ay February 21 pero nag-message yung kanyang maybahay kanina na darating siya ng 7:45 [a.m.] ng February 20,” he said.

(Officially, in what had been discussed, it should be February 21, but his wife sent a message earlier that his remains will arrive at 7:45 a.m. on February 20.)

Malabed will receive full honors in Camp Crame, according to Tuaño.

“Officially dadalhin yung kanyang labi dito para bigyan ng honor dito sa February 27 para for viewing and then finally ang interment niya ay sa March 5,” he said.

(Officially, his remains will be brought here to be honored on February 27 for viewing and then finally his interment will be on March 5,)

Washington, D.C. Consul General Donna Rodriguez said that the Malabed family has requested privacy, and therefore, no additional information will be released out of respect for their wishes.

"The last time I spoke with the family of Col. Malabed, they asked for privacy, and so, to respect their wishes, I don’t think I would be able to give out that information,” she said.

Meanwhile, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the possibility that the Black Hawk helicopter’s altimeter was faulty and that it failed to hear the advisory from Reagan National Airport’s control tower just seconds before colliding with American Airlines Flight 5342.

On January 22, Malabed, as the chief of PNP's Supply Management Division, flew from the Philippines to India for the pre-delivery inspection of 2,675 units of all-purpose vests.

Malabed took five of the vests and flew to the United States to subject the items for further testing on January 27.

Based on the unofficial report of the Office of the Police Attaché in Washington D.C., Malabed was originally scheduled to return to the Philippines on February 2 but he decided to travel to South Carolina via Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to visit his brother.

Malabed was among the people on board an American Airlines passenger jet that collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on January 30 (US time). — RSJ, GMA Integrated News