The Philippine authorities on Wednesday confirmed that eight people, including two undersecretaries and senior presidential security officers, were dead after their helicopter crashed in northern mountainous region late Tuesday.

Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. told local ANC television channel that the wreckage was found on Mt. Mangingihi, Tinoc town of the northern province of Ifugao Wednesday afternoon.

He said bodies of the passengers have been recovered but the retrieval was particularly slow due to the continuous rain in the area.

Among the passengers were Press Undersecretary Jose Capadocia, Undersecretary of the Presidential Management Staff Marilou Frostrum, and Brigadier-General Carlos Clet, the president's senior security official.

The chopper was reported missing soon after it took off from the northern city of Baguio around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday (0830 GMT), suspectedly caused by the rough weather.  

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2009)