By Marilyn Galang and Jason De Asis

CABANATUAN CITY – A female pilot died Saturday when the helicopter she was flying crashed in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The helicopter with body number RP-C3424 hit a swamp in Purok Arimug-mong in Barangay San Miguel at around 5 p.m. The victim was later confirmed as a pilot of television host and senatorial candidate Willie Revillame.
On Saturday night, Revillame visited HM Mina Funeral Services Guimba, where the remains were brought.
The body is set to be transported Sunday night to Heritage Park in Taguig City, Metro Manila.
Scene of the crime operatives were deployed for forensic processing and a post-mortem examination.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) earlier said that it launched a technical investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
“Initial reports indicate that the helicopter departed Manila at 10:22 a.m. on February 1, 2025 en route to Baguio, where it dropped off a passenger,” CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said in a statement.
The helicopter took off from Baguio at 11:51 a.m. for Binalonan for refueling and landed at 12:05 p.m.
“Binalonan Airport officials noted that the aircraft experienced difficulty restarting its engine before departing at 4:30 p.m. Authorities later confirmed with the Guimba Police Station that the crash site was located in Purok Arimungmong, Barangay San Miguel,” he added. (PNA)