Palace glad PNP chief not seriously hurt in chopper crash; prays for his, other cops swift recovery

March 5, 2020

Malacanang said it was happy that Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Archie Gamboa was not seriously injured when the helicopter carrying him and six other policemen crashed in San Pedro, Laguna on Thursday morning.

This as Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the public should wait for the result of the investigation instead of making speculations on what really took place.

"The Office of the President is glad that Police General Gamboa is safe and suffered no serious injuries from the accident," he said in a statement.

Police intelligence director Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway, and PNP comptrollership director Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Victor Ramos who were among those with Gamboan in the helicopter  were reportedly in critical condition and were being treated in a hospital in Laguna.

Also injured in the accident were Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson; Capt. Kevin Gayrama, Gamboa's aide-de-camp; Lt. Col. Ruel Zalatar and Lt. Col. Rico Makawili, piolt and co-pilot, respectively; and Master Sgt. Louie Estona.

"All of them are now being attended to by doctors and we are hoping - as we are praying - for their swift recovery," Panelo said.

"Initial accounts reveal that the mishap was caused by the helicopter getting in contact with a high-tension wire due to poor visibility. With this, we ask the public to refrain from making speculations relative to the circumstances as we wait for the official results of the probe on the incident," he added.

Panelo, in a press briefing, said President Rodrigo Duterte might visit the injured cops in the hospital. Celerina Monte/DMS