PNP chopper crash won’t deter Duterte from often taking helicopter to events, Palace says

March 5, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte would continue to take a chopper in attending to various events outside Malacañang despite Thursday's helicopter crash resulting in the injury of eight policemen, including Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa, a Palace official said.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo described Duterte a "fatalistic" person.

"I don't think - you know the President. The President always says, 'If it's my time, it's my time'," Panelo said when asked if the recent accident would not affect Duterte's penchant for taking chopper to events.

"He is fatalistic," he added, referring to the 74-year old Duterte.

Gamboa and seven other police officers were injured when Bell 429 chopper crashed in San Pedro, Laguna on Thursday morning.

But PNP director for comptrollership Maj. Gen. Jovic Ramos and PNP intelligence director Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway were in critical condition.

Panelo said what could have happened was an accident.

"According to the PNP, that's a latest acquisition and it's a very good chopper. So, apparently it's really an accident," he said.

Every time Duterte has events outside Malacanang, even if it is also in Metro Manila, he takes a chopper contrary to his predecessors who traveled by land most of the time if the activities would just be in the metropolis.

Travelling by chopper could be part of Duterte's security measure and to avoid traffic. Celerina Monte/DMS