Palace condoles with family of police patrolman killed in chopper crash

Photos from the Philippine National Police – Public Information Office

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday condoled with the family of police patrolman Allen Noel Ona who died in a helicopter crash in Quezon province.

The incident also wounded two other police officers, Lt. Col. Dexter Vitug, the pilot, and Lt. Col. Michael Melloria, the co-pilot. Both are now in the hospital undergoing treatment.

“Kami po’y nakikiramay sa pamilya ng isang crew member na namatay dahil sa crash na ito at we wish the two injured a speedy recovery,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said during the Palace press briefing.

(We condole with the bereaved family of the crew member who died in this crash and we wish the two injured a speedy recovery.)

He added that an investigation of the incident is underway.

“The Department of the Interior and Local Government is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash of the chopper,” Nograles also said.

Based on the initial report, the Philippine National Police’s  (PNP) H125 Airbus crashed on Monday morning in the vicinity of Purok (zone) Mayaog in the mountain village of Pandan in Real town.

READ: PNP chopper crashes in Quezon; 1 dead – official

A report also noted that the helicopter was headed to Balesin Island to fetch PNP chief General Dionardo Carlos and party.

Probers have yet to determine the cause of the crash.

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