MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Archie Gamboa is in stable condition as he recuperates from minor injuries that he sustained from the helicopter crash in Laguna on Thursday morning.
The PNP Public Information Office (PIO) said Gamboa has been transferred to St. Luke’s Hospital in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig around 10:15 a.m. from West Lake Medical Center in San Pedro, Laguna where he was first taken after the incident.
Gamboa and other PNP officials were in Laguna to inspect a compound of impounded vehicles of the Highway Patrol Group. The chopper was supposed to ferry them to Camp Vicente Lim in neighboring Calamba town when the crash occurred around 8 a.m.
Gamboa was on the 2-year old Bell 429 chopper with Directorate for Comptrollership Major General Jovic Ramos, Directorate for Intelligence Major General Mariel Magaway, and PNP Spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac. Two pilots, an aide, and a technician were also on board the helicopter.
Initial investigation showed that the chopper got entangled with power lines shortly after lift-off in San Pedro town.
The take-off site was sandy and the aircraft’s propellers fanned a thick dust which caused poor visibility. The chopper caught fire later on.
Gamboa, Banac and four others only sustained minor injuries, but Ramos and Magaway are in critical condition and are being treated in Unihealth Southwoods Hospital in Biñan, Laguna.
Banac and four others have also been brought to the St. Lukes Hospital in Taguig.
Meanwhile, former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa posted a photo of him and a smiling Gamboa while lying on his hospital bed.
“Please pray for the fast recovery of my mistahs: Gen. Gamboa, Gen. Ramos, Gen. Magaway; PNP-PIO Gen. Banac and the rest of the passengers and flight crew of the PNP helicopter that crashed at San Pedro, Laguna this morning,” dela Rosa said in his Facebook post. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Lea Ylagan)
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