Manila - A Philippine Air Force C-130 cargo plane with nine people aboard has been missing and feared to have crashed, officials said Tuesday.

Lieutenant Pedrito Cadungog, air force chief, said the plane took off from the international airport in Davao City, 990 kilometres south of Manila, on Monday evening.

It was bound for the eastern city of Iloilo, where it was supposed to arrive about two hours later.

But Cadungog said the air force lost contact with the plane about 10 minutes after it took off.

"The aircraft most probably crashed," he said.

Search and rescue operations have been launched, he added.

The plane was supposed to pick up presidential security guards from Iloilo City for transport back to Manila.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was in Iloilo City to attend the wake of an army lieutenant colonel killed in an ambush by Muslim separatist rebels in a southern province last week. (dpa)