Chopper carrying solon crashes in Tarlac

A helicopter carrying a party-list congressman crashed into a cliff in Capas, Tarlac on Thursday afternoon.

In a dzMM report, the Tarlac police confirmed that a helicopter crashed at a military reservation camp in Tarlac during a military exercise.

Sketchy reports also indicated that some persons aboard the chopper were seriously injured.

Coop-NATCCO Rep. Anthony Bravo was among those injured in the incident.

Rene Buenviaje, chief of staff of Coop-NATCCO party-list, confirmed this to reporters.

Buenviaje said a staff member, who was traveling with Bravo, informed him that the lawmaker suffered some bruises.

Former House Secretary General Cesar Pareja, who was also in the chopper, also confirmed the incident.

“Thanks for your prayers. The pilot suffered head injuries and the crew has a broken arm. I have minor scratches along with most of the passengers. The helicopter crashed just as we were about to land in Crow Valley,” Pareja told reporters.

A congressional staffer also said others on board the helicopter were Baltazar Reyes; Col. Arthur Baybayan, sergeant-at-arms of the Commission on Appointments; Daisy De Lima, Romeo V. Almonte, 1st Lt. Melvin Betia, and Edilberto M. Mandap.

Senator Ralph Recto witnessed the crash at the Crow Valley military reservation in Capas, according to the legislator’s staff. Recto was supposed to get on that helicopter “but for some reason” the senator boarded a different chopper, the staff added.

Recto, a reservist, was there to witness the live fire drill, which was part of the military exercise held at the camp, the staff also said.

In a DZBB report, Baybayan said the chopper was already about to land on the helipad but instead went directly into the ravine.

He also said they were to attend an “AFP legislative stakeholders’ engagement” at Crow Valley.

Baybayan further said those wounded were rushed to various hospitals.

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