Remains of ABC-5 crew airlifted to Manila

Two Philippine Air Force helicopters airlifted Monday the remains of three ABC 5 news team killed in a road mishap over the weekend in the central Philippine province of Camarines Sur, radio reports said. The helicopters are expected to arrive at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 2 p.m., reports said. The bodies of reporter Hazel Recheta-Calimag, cameraman Arnel Guiao and assistant cameraman Ismael Cabugayan will then be brought to the Paz Funeral Homes in Quezon City where their family members have been gathered by the ABC-5 network management. ABC-5 News Manager Ed Lingao was quoted in radio interviews as saying family members would be asked whether or not they want the remains to stay at Funeraria Paz or brought to funeral homes of their choice. “We are thankful to the Air Force for conducting a mercy mission. Hopefully the weather holds. The chopper will arrive from Lucena to Naga to pick up their remains and bring them to Manila by Monday morning," an emotional Lingao said. He said there was no premonition of the accident as the three seemed well-rested before they returned to Manila from Bicol, where they covered Mayon Volcano’s activity for a week. Local reporters lit candles for the three Sunday night. Investigation showed Recheta, Guiao and Cabugayan were killed after their Nissan Frontier pickup swerved after allegedly overtaking a bus in Pamplona town. Municipal police chief Sr. Supt. Romeo Magpalo cited accounts from witnesses who claimed seeing the pickup overtake the bus then zigzagged, as if losing control. Witnesses also heard an explosion, but were not sure if it was a tire of the ABC-5 pickup that exploded and caused it to swerve. Bus driver Alberto Mendoza was placed under police custody. Lingao said the network had sent teams to inform the families of the three victims. “Sometimes we don’t know…if this is the right job for us," he said before breaking down during an interview with dzRH radio. Magpalo said all of the three fatalities’ items were accounted for, including their cell phones and the television camera. The belongings have been turned over to representatives of the ABC-5 network, who rushed to Camarines Sur. Meanwhile, the families of the ABC-5 news team will receive P50,000 entitled them under the enhanced Compulsory Third Party Liability (eCTPL). Ed Atayde, president of Philippine Accident Managers Inc., said the check worth P50,000 will be forwarded to the ABC-5 network. “We will give the check to the management for faster disposition to the relatives of the victims," Atayde said. -GMANews.TV