PNP chopper crash adds to a list of past crashes involving gov't execs

Prior to Thursday's helicopter crash in Laguna involving Philippine National Police chief Police General Archie Gamboa, there have been a number of helicopters going down and killing or injuring members of the government over the years, according to Emil Sumangil's Thursday report on QRT.

On November 22, 2018, a Sokol Army helicopter crashed in Capas, Tarlac, injuring 12 individuals, including COOP NATCCO party-list Representative Anthony Bravo and former House Secretary-General Attorney Cesar Pareja.

Two months before, on September 18, a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter carrying relief goods for typhoon victims crashed on the fields of Peñablanca, Cagayan.

Aboard the helicopter were Cagayan Provincial Administrator Rodolfo Alvarado, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head Pedro Danguilan, and former Buguey Mayor Ignacio Taruc. They survived the incident.

Meanwhile, three died after a UH-1D Huey Helicopter of the PAF crashed in an empty lot in Tanay, Rizal on May 4, 2017.

On April 7, 2009, eight individuals died after their helicopter crashed along the boundary of Benguet and Ifugao.

Among the fatalities were Press Undersecretary Jose Capadocia, Presidential Management Staff Undersecretary Marilou Frostrom, and Senior Military Aide to the President Brigadier General Carlos Clet.

Former Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology chief Raymundo Punongbayan and eight others died in a helicopter crash in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija on April 28, 2005.

On Thursday morning, a helicopter carrying Gamboa crashed in San Pedro, Laguna.

Gamboa survived the crash with a right shoulder injury and was reportedly in stable condition. — Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM, GMA News