Body of missing Philippine official retrieved

MANILA - The remains of missing Philippine Cabinet official were retrieved Tuesday morning off the Central Philippine province of Masbate, government officials said.

A Philippines national flag covers the steel coffin with the body of Philippines Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, inside a military airplane at Masbate airport, central Philippines Aug 21, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said that the divers discovered the wreckage of the light plane as well as the body of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and the two other pilots at around 7:30 am about 800 meters from the shore of Masbate.

Robredo's body, who was just near the door of the airplane, was retrieved at around 8:15 am, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas said.

He said President Benigno S. Aquino III was immediately informed of the latest development.

At around 8:30 am, Aquino called up Robredo's wife and told him that the remains of the secretary were already retrieved, he said.

Roxas said the President will fly to Masbate via the military plane C-130 and will accompany the body of the late official to Naga City, Camarines Sur, his home province.

Meanwhile, he said retrieval operations for the two pilots will continue.

Robredo and his aide boarded the private plane on Saturday afternoon from Cebu province. They were supposed to proceed to Naga City, but the plane experienced problem and was supposed to have an emergency landing in Masbate airport. But the aircraft failed to reach the airport as it crashed on the sea. Robredo's aide survived from the incident.

Philippine Interior Minister Jesse Robredo speaks during a meeting with local police officials in Mandaue city in Cebu, central Philippines in this Aug 18, 2012 file photo. Robredo and two others went missing after a light plane carrying them crashed at sea off a central island on Saturday, an army spokesman said. [Photo/Agencies]