One of the Helicopters of Mar Roxas’ Convoy Crashed

Photo credit: interaksyon

MANILA, Philippines — One of the Mar Roxas II and Defense Secretary Voltaire Secretary Gazmin Philippine Air Force helicopter crashed in Marawi Lanao del Sur on Thursday. The helicopter was travelling as part of two Philippine officials’ convoy.

The two government officials Mar and Gazmin were on board on a separate chopper while the W3 Sokol helicopter pilot was reported injured. Mar Roxas sent a greeting and confirmation text message to reporters that both of them
are safe.

Aside from a text message, Roxas also tweeted: “thanks for the concern everyone. Volts and I are safe. We were not in the chopper that have reported to have crashed”

The helicopter crashed around 2:30 pm while the investigation is still going. Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya confirmed such statement in an interview with radio dzBB.

Canaya also clarified that it was not land crash as that the chopper took a preventive landing before long after it took off from Marawi City en route to Cagayan de Oro City. He also added that the chopper has no record of any defects since it was acquired brand new in the year 2012.

After the incident happened, the whole  convoy of the Air Force's Sokol helicopters was grounded.