Philippine police chief, aides survive copter crash
It snagged electric cable on taking off; 2 of 3 other generals on board in critical condition
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The wreckage of the Bell 429 helicopter that was carrying top Philippine police official Archie Gamboa and his aides yesterday. He had just finished inspecting a police compound where cars were impounded in San Pedro city, Laguna province, and was heading to a meeting in another city when the crash occurred.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
A helicopter carrying the Philippines' top police official and his aides crashed at a police camp south of Manila early yesterday.
General Archie Gamboa, head of the 191,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP), survived.
He was conscious when taken to a hospital, PNP Highway Patrol Group chief Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson Doromal told CNN Philippines.
The three other police generals with him, as well as a junior aide and the three helicopter crewmen, were also extricated at the crash site and taken to hospital.
Two of the generals were reported to be "in critical condition".
Gen Gamboa had just finished inspecting a police compound where cars were impounded in San Pedro city, Laguna province, 40km south of Manila, and was heading to a meeting in another city when the crash occurred.
Lt-Col Doromal said the helicopter stirred a huge amount of dust as it was taking off, and then snagged an electric cable.
Witnesses said the twin-engine Bell 429, which was acquired just two years ago, swung violently before it crashed on its side, broke in two, and caught fire.
A video posted on Facebook by one of the reporters at the scene showed dozens of first responders extricating one of those trapped inside the helicopter.
With Gen Gamboa were Major-General Mariel Magaway, the intelligence chief; Major-General Jovic Ramos, the chief comptroller; and Brigadier-General Bernard Banac, a spokesman for the PNP.
A police statement said Maj-Gen Magaway and Maj-Gen Ramos were still unconscious as of noon.
"They are in critical condition, (but) they are being well taken care of," Major-General Benigno Durana, the acting police spokesman, told reporters.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano, a former military chief, said in a radio interview that the relatively new helicopter helped ensure that no one died in the crash.
"The seat belts were sturdy, with harnesses on both shoulders. Those helped for sure. (Gen Gamboa) wasn't thrown out of the helicopter," he said.
Gen Gamboa, 55, took the helm of the PNP in January. Like his last two predecessors, he has vowed to continue enforcing President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal crackdown on the narcotics trade.
The drug war has stirred accusations of massive human rights violations, with more than 5,000 suspects killed in police raids and by vigilantes since 2016.
Gen Gamboa has also pledged to focus on cleansing the PNP of corrupt officers.
