Metro Manila, Philippines – Senator Ronald Dela Rosa has confirmed that he was the last passenger of a helicopter that crashed in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, before the tragedy struck on Saturday night, February 1.
Yes. Hinatid lang ako sa Baguio tapos dumaan pa raw at nag-gas up somewhere in Pangasinan tapos lumipad then bumagsak sa Guimba,” Dela Rosa told reporters on Monday. [Translation: Yes, they just dropped me off in Baguio, then I heard they stopped for refueling somewhere in Pangasinan before flying again and crashing in Guimba] The senator said he did not notice anything unusual during the flight.I don’t know, pinick-up nila ako sa Imus, Cavite tapos nagpalit ng makina tapos very smooth naman ang biyahe namin going to Baguio,” he said. [Translation: I don’t know, they picked me up in Imus, Cavite, then changed the engine, but our flight to Baguio was very smooth] He also said that the weather conditions were good at the time.Masaya kami doon sa flight, wala ako naramdaman na anything unusual, very good ang weather,” he said. [Translation: We were enjoying the flight, I didn’t sense anything unusual, and the weather was very good] Dela Rosa added that there were three passengers, including himself, who were flown to Baguio by the ill-fated chopper.The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) confirmed that the pilot did not survive the crash.
