Dureza cheats death

DAVAO CITY — Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza and four of his staff members narrowly escaped death yesterday when smoke started to come out of the Philippine National Police Islander aircraft that was supposed to fly him back to Cotabato City for a meeting with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel.

Dureza, who is the government chief negotiator in the peace negotiation with the Muslim separatist rebels, said the six-seater aircraft was used by the PNP to fetch him from Cotabato City to bring him to Davao City where he addressed the Mindanao Anti-Crime Summit held at the Grand Regal Hotel. The plane came all the way from Zamboanga City before it went to Cotabato City and proceeded to Davao City and was on its way back to Cotabato at 11 a.m. immediately after Dureza delivered his speech.

Dureza was accompanied in the said flight by his brother Jerry, who is also his personal assistant, and three other staff, Olie Dagala, Edgardo Estoveo and a certain Bembot, his security aide.

"We were already airborne for about 10 minutes when smoke started coming out of the engine of the plane. And the pilot decided to bring the plane back to the Davao International Airport for an emergency landing," Dureza said.

Cloudy weather forced the pilot to pass through the coastal air route instead of passing over the mountains of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.

Dureza and his staff were able to proceed to Cotabato City by using a helicopter of the National Power Corp. — Edith Regalado