A senior police officer who was seriously injured when a chopper carrying Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa crashed in Laguna in March has successfully recovered and has been discharged from the hospital.
Police Major Gen. Mariel Magaway, former chief of the Directorate for Intelligence, was released from his hospital room at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City last Thursday, Police Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, deputy chief for administration of the PNP, said yesterday.
Cascolan said Magaway will undergo a two-week therapy to ensure that he is 100 percent fully recovered.
“He can talk. Sometimes, he is having difficulty in walking alone probably because he was lying in bed for four months so he still needs support. But in two weeks therapy, I think he will be able to adjust. He also has a good memory, he remembers almost everything,” Cascolan said.
Cascolan believes that Magaway will be able to go back into service. However, he said, the decision to let Magaway return to work rests on Gamboa.
“If it was only up to me, he can have work that would be light for him. That would depend on the evaluation of the psychologists and other doctors but I am positive he can still hold responsibilities after the crash given the therapy,” he said.
“But of course, that’s the decision of the chief PNP to make,” he added.
On the other hand, Police Major Gen. Jose Maria Ramos, former chief of the Directorate for Comptrollership, remains “in deep coma” at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.
“He is still in coma (Glasgow Coma State 3) as identified by the doctors at the Asian Hospital. Hindi pa rin siya nagigising,” Cascolan said.
Magaway and Ramos were the most injured among eight policemen aboard the Bell 429 (RP-3086) twin-engine chopper that crashed in San Pedro, Laguna on March 5. (Martin Sadongdong)
