PNP chief led procurement of chopper that crashed: Dela Rosa

Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Archie Gamboa supervised the procurement of the helicopter that crashed on Thursday while carrying him and 7 others in Laguna province.

Gamboa was chief of the bids and awards committee when the national police acquired the twin-engine chopper in 2017, former PNP chief and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said Thursday. 

"Magandang klase iyan, brand new... It went through proper bidding procedure. Alam natin maraming kaso beforehand kaya nag-iingat talaga siya na hindi masingitan ng kalokohan iyong procurement n'yan," Dela Rosa told DZMM. 

(We know there were many corruption cases beforehand so he really took care that no anomaly would taint that procurement.) 

Gamboa was on the chopper with Major Generals Jovic Ramos and Mariel Magaway, his comptrollership and intelligence heads, respectively; Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the PNP spokesman; an aide, a technician and 2 pilots, the PNP Public Information Office said.

"All police officers and pilots were safe with minor injuries," after the crash, the PNP-PIO said on Twitter. 

• PNP Chief Gamboa, 3 generals survive chopper crash, brought to hospital

DZMM, March 5, 2020