CLARK FREEPORT — Twelve persons mostly civilians including partylist congressman were badly hurt when a Poland-made Philippine Air Force Sokol chopper carrying them crashed at Crow Valley area in Barangay Sta. Juliana, Capas,Tarlac, early Thursday afternoon.
Sketchy report from the 600th Air Base Wing said one of the occupants is COOP-NATO Representative Anthony Bravo who suffered minor injuries others were Baltazar Reyes; retired Colonel Arthur Baybayan; Romeo Alonte; Mario Gene Baretto, Daisy Oreta Delima and lawyer Cesar Pareja.
The PAF crew and pilots were Air Force Major
Mark de los Reyes; 1Lt. Melvin Betia; Lt. Henry Cabanayan; Sgt. Byron Diano and AIC Kevin Kiel Cubangbang.
PAF said the incident happened past 2 p.m.
The chopper, according to sketchy police report was commissioned to airlift VIPs from Capas, Tarlac who attended the First Legislative speaking engagement in said place when the aircraft developed emgine teouble enroute to Clark.
All the occupants were safe except for minor injuries inflicted during the mishap. They were airlifted to Medical City Clark to check their health condition.
Sokol choppers have been grounded by the PAF after one of the units was involved in mishaps sometime on November 2016 in Palawan.