Body of missing Philippines minister found

 Technical divers with President Noynoy

Divers have found the body of the country's Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Mr Robredo had been missing since his small plane crashed into the sea off central Masbate province on Saturday.

Officials say divers have recoverd Mr Robredo's body from the sea.

The minister's aide survived the crash, but the search for the plane's two pilots is continuing.

Secretary Robredo was both a political ally and a close friend of President Benigno Aquino, who has been watching over the search operations.

Roxas said that the body was retrieved at 8:15 a.m. and surfaced at 8:40 a.m. by three technical divers from Malapascua in Cebu.

The three technical divers include two British nationals and a Filipina.

He said that after the "eyeball confirmation" that the recovered body was that of Robredo, President Benigno Aquino III immediately informed the late secretary's wife, Lenie, of the recovery over the phone.

Roxas said that the bodies of the light plane's pilots, Jessup Bahinting and Nepali Kshitiz Chand have also been found and retrieval operations were ongoing.

The 54-year-old Robredo was mayor of Naga City since 1988 before being appointed by as secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government.