Helicopter carrying PNP chief crashes

2 PNP generals in critical condition; Gamboa, Banac out of danger

SAN PEDRO, Laguna , Philippines  – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, three generals and four other officers were injured when their helicopter crashed moments after takeoff in this city yesterday morning.

The PNP’s Bell 429 helicopter (RP3086-429) went down and caught fire at the impounding area of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) inside the Laperal compound in Barangay San Antonio shortly after it took off around 8:15 a.m.

Gamboa had just inspected HPG facilities and was on his way with his group to Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba City, also in this province, for a command conference when the helicopter crashed a few meters from where it took off.

A fire truck and emergency crew were at the scene so the fire was immediately put out. HPG officers and other first-responders pulled Gamboa and the others out of the wreckage.

Aside from Gamboa, those injured were Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesman; Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Victor Ramos, director for comptrollership; Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway, director for intelligence; Capt. Kevin Gayrama, Gamboa’s aide-de-camp; M/Sgt. Louie Sistona; pilot Lt. Col. Ruel Salazar and co-pilot Lt. Col. Rico Macawili.

Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, PNP deputy chief for operations, told dzMM radio that all of the passengers were safe. “All of them are in hospitals,” he said.

Magaway, who was unconscious at the scene of the crash, was transferred by ambulance from the hospital in Southwoods to the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Maj. Gen. Benigno Durana, PNP chief for community relations, said Magaway and Ramos were still in critical condition in separate hospitals.

Durana added Gamboa and five others were already out of danger.

“I came from the emergency room and they are all stable,” he said.

Gamboa had abrasions in his hands while Banac suffered abrasions in the face.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, former PNP chief, posted a photo of him visiting Gamboa, who was in good spirits and flashing a thumb’s up sign in his hospital bed.

Before the crash, several recovered carjacked luxury vehicles and seized firearms were presented to Gamboa at the HPG compound.

He also witnessed the distribution of communication equipment and the destruction of video karera machines.

What happened?

After his visit to the HPG, Gamboa had a quick photo opportunity with HPG chief Brig. Gen. Ely Cruz, Laguna police provincial director Col. Serafin Petalio and other police officials beside the helicopter.

The PNP chief even told HPG officials staying behind to leave the area because it would be dusty during takeoff.

A video taken by an onlooker and posted by one Hajji Kaamiño on the Facebook account of Radyo Pilipinas showed how the takeoff created a huge cloud of dust that caused zero visibility.

After a minute, a loud popping sound came from helicopter, followed by a crash.

Witnesses told The STAR the helicopter seemed to have struck the power line before crashing to the ground. Its tail broke off and the side of its body was on fire.

Cruz was already about to have breakfast with his men and members of media when they heard the crash and immediately rushed to the scene. They were the first responders and pulled Gamboa out of the wreckage.

As he was being carried to the ambulance by Petalio, Gamboa was heard urging the rescue of others on board, saying: “Mga tao ko, mga tao ko (My men, my men)!”

“Fortunately, the fire on the side of the helicopter was immediately extinguished, preventing an explosion,” a resident of Barangay San Antonio said.

All those on board were immediately pulled out by Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) personnel.

Crash probe

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año ordered an investigation into the crash to determine if it involved pilot error or a mechanical issue. 

“We’ll see – did the pilots do their protocol before taking off? That’s part of what we’re checking on what led to the accident. Was there a pilot’s error or mechanical (malfunction)?” Año said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

Special Investigation Task Group Bell 429 (SITG 429) has been formed to conduct the investigation on instruction of the PNP’s No. 2 man and deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan.

It is headed by Eleazar and officials and officers from the Directorate for Operations, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Aviation Security Group, Special Action Force and Calabarzon police.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said it is willing to help in the investigation.

“If the PNP will ask our help, we are willing to help crash investigators on what might have caused the crash,” CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said.

A parallel probe by the National Bureau of Investigation is not necessary at this point, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

PNP helicopters grounded

Cascolan said while the SITG’s probe is ongoing, the remaining six helicopters of the PNP are now grounded.?“We’re grounding all of them now, pending the conduct of investigation,” he told reporters at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Earlier, Año said the PNP would be at Cascolan’s command temporarily if Gamboa is unable to discharge his functions.

Año commended the PNP and BFP units for their “quick action that saved the lives of the PNP chief and his team.”

Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag expressed solidarity and prayers for the quick recovery of Gamboa and other officials.

Gamboa back to work on Monday

While still reeling from injuries, Gamboa said he would be back at work on Monday.

“I was not really hurt and as a matter of fact, I am going back to office on Monday,” Gamboa, clad in a hospital gown, said in a video message on dzMM.

He appealed to the public to refrain from sharing on social media photographs of the ill-fated helicopter and the crash site.

“Just help us pray for those still in the hospital,” Gamboa said in Filipino.

However, doctors have advised Gamboa to have a complete rest to fully recover from his injuries.

Underground cabling

Meanwhile, Rep. Bernadette Herrera of party-list Bagong Henerasyon renewed her call for the immediate passage of the bill that mandates the relocation and installation of wire and cable systems underground.

“It is really high time for the country to relocate and place all cables underground. This incident has proven how unreasonably risky overhead wires are,” the House deputy majority leader said. 

“I’m glad that our PNP chief and other officials are safe but we could not let this incident happen again. It is necessary for us to exhaust all means to ensure safety in all public spaces,” Herrera added. 

The senior administration lawmaker is pushing for the passage of House Bill 5845 that mandates all companies, service providers, industries and other similar entities that use wires and cables to relocate and install their wire and cable systems underground. – With Romina Cabrera, Rudy Santos, Evelyn Macairan, Delon Porcalla, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Emmanuel Tupas