After more than seven months of battling the effects of the injuries he suffered from a helicopter crash in Laguna, Police Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Victor Ramos died early Tuesday morning.
The death of Ramos was confirmed by his mistah, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan. Both Ramos and Cascolan are members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1986.
Ramos was then the head of the PNP’s Directorate for Comptrollership when the helicopter that he and seven other police personnel, including then PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa and PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, crashed in San Pedro, Laguna in March.
The PNP officials, led by Gamboa, had just inspected an impounding site for vehicles that are being recovered in police operations and on their way to the regional headquarters of the Police Regional Office 4A in Laguna when the chopper crashed a few minutes after takeoff.
The thick dust and debris caused by the sudden gust of winds during takeoff was seen as the reason why the pilot lost control of the chopper.
Only Ramos and Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway sustained serious injuries.
PNP spokesman Col. Ysmael Yu said Ramos died at 12:07 a.m. and will immediately be cremated.
“The PNP is saddened by this news. On behalf of the Chief PNP General Cascolan, the Philippine National Police extends its condolences to the family (of Ramos) and to PMA Sinagtala Class of 1986,” said Yu.