Sen. Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa. Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Sen. Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa confirmed on Monday that he was the last passenger who boarded the helicopter with body number RP-C3424 before it crashed in Guimba, Nueva Ecija on February 1.
鈥淵es, yes,鈥� Dela Rosa said when he was pressed to disclose if it was he who last boarded the chopper before it crashed on Saturday night.
鈥淚t transported me to Baguio then when it returned, it happened. It also went to somewhere in Pangasinan. It took off and then it crashed in Gimba, Nueva Ecija,鈥� he said in Filipino.
Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines disclosed that the lone occupant of the helicopter 鈥� a female pilot 鈥� did not survive the crash.
Dela Rosa said he did not feel anything unusual before and during the flight
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know because they picked me up in Imus, Cavite and the engine was okay. It was running and our flight was very smooth going to Baguio,鈥� he said in Filipino.
READ: CAAP: 1 dead in helicopter crash in Nueva Ecija
According to dela Rosa, he was told that the pilot volunteered to escort him to Baguio. He added that the female pilot鈥檚 father is very close to him and former president Rodrigo Duterte.聽
Dela Rosa, however, refused to give a message to the deceased pilot.聽
鈥淎yaw ko maiyak ako, it really breaks my heart kasi naimagine ko kagabi 鈥� nandoon ako sa wake [at] niyakap yakap ko ung father atsaka mother ng piloto.聽 [She鈥檚 just] 25 years old very young. [Inimagine] ko rin how would I feel kapag anak ko rin na piloto na babae rin eh ganun ang mangyari di ko maimagine mahirap mahirap tanggapin,鈥� he said.聽
(It would make me cry. It really breaks my heart because I was at the wake yesterday night. I was there and I hugged her dad and mom. She鈥檚 just 25 years old, she鈥檚 very young. I imagined if I were in the situation, thinking how would I feel if it鈥檚 my child who鈥檚 a pilot and also a woman that would experience the same fate, it really breaks my heart.)