By Wilnard Bacelonia

MANILA – The 25-year-old female pilot who perished in a helicopter crash in Nueva Ecija on Saturday volunteered to fly Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to Baguio City, the lawmaker confirmed Monday.
Dela Rosa said Julia Flori Monzon Po personally offered to fly him and his security escorts from Imus, Cavite to Baguio for an engagement.
“Nag-volunteer daw siya na maglipad sa akin (She reportedly volunteered to take me there),” he said, adding that he had known Po and her family for years.
Dela Rosa said he had another event to attend in Binmaley, Pangasinan in the evening but advised Po to just drop him and his escorts off in Baguio.
From Baguio, Po refueled in Binalonan, Pangasinan before taking off for Manila.
Moments later, the helicopter crashed at a swamp in Guimba town.
“Ayaw ko ma-sacrifice ‘yung oras dahil nga magsara agad ‘yung clouds diyan sa Baguio kaya sabi ko i-drop na lang ako doon. Pag-drop, uwi na kaagad siya. ‘Yun lang ang paki-usap ko, drop off lang ako. Gabi ‘yung engagement ko sa Binmaley eh, so hindi man pwedeng maglipad ng gabi (I didn’t want to risk delays, so I just asked to be dropped off. My engagement in Binmaley was night time and flying at night time is prohibited),” Dela Rosa said.
The lawmaker said it was a smooth flight to Baguio and even the weather was good.
He visited Po’s wake at Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City on Sunday night.
“It really breaks my heart. Imagine kagabi andun ako sa wake, yakap-yakap ko ‘yung father atsaka yung mother nung piloto. 25 years old, very young (I was there at the wake hugging the pilot’s father and mother. 25 years old is still very young),” the senator, whose daughter is also a pilot, said.
“Heartbroken ako ngayon dahil nakita ko ‘yung bata na very bright ang future (I am heartbroken right now because she had a very bright future),” he added. (PNA)