A ROOKIE policeman yesterday was killed while two other police officers were injured after their helicopter crashed in Real, Quezon.
Patrolman Allen Noel died while pilot Lt. Col. Dexter Vitug and co-pilot Lt. Col Michael Mellora were seriously injured and now undergoing treatment in a hospital in Infanta, Quezon.
Quezon police director Col. Joel Villanueva said the ill-fated H125 Airbus, with registry number RP-9710, was reported missing hours after taking off at 6:17 a.m. yesterday from the Manila Domestic Airport in Pasay City en route to northern Quezon on an administrative mission.
Rescue teams from the PNP, the Bureau of fire Protection and local government units reached the crash site in Bgy. Pandan, Real, Quezon at 8:05 a.m. yesterday and evacuated the survivors identified as Vitug and his co-pilot Melloria.
Both Vitug and Meloria were brought to a hospital in Infanta town for treatment.
The third victim, Pat. Ona, died due to serious injuries he sustained as a result of the chopper crash.
Earlier reports said that Ona was in critical condition when he was found by paramedic rescuers at the crash site, which is approximately 30 kilometers from the town proper of Real, where a rainy weather was prevailing yesterday.
Following the incident, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos ordered the grounding of the entire fleet of H125 Airbus Police helicopters while an investigation is underway, in coordination with civil aviation authorities.
The ill-fated chopper was one of the three additional multirole helicopters procured by the PNP last year to boost its operational capability against insurgency and terrorism.
The other two had the registry numbers RP-2420 and RP-6088.
It was the latest tragic accident involving a police helicopter since the start of the Duterte administration.
On March 5, 2020, a PNP helicopter carrying then PNP chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa and three other star-rank officials crashed in San Pedro City in Laguna.
One of the passengers of the chopper that crashed in San Pedro City, Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Victor DF Ramos, then the PNP Comptroller, died after battling his injuries for months.
Apart from Gamboa, the others who survived the crash were then PNP Director for Intelligence Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway, then PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, pilot Lt. Col. Ruel Zalatar, co-pilot Lt. Col. Rico Macawili, Gamboa’s aide-de-camp, Capt. Keventh Gayramara and helicopter crew Senior MSgt. Louie Estona.
In May 2010, a private helicopter carrying then Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes and his two security personnel crashed shortly after takeoff in Lucena City, killing the three and the pilot on the spot.
A 14-year- old girl on the ground also died as a result of the accident.
