Filipino businessman Liberato “Levy” P. Laus died in a helicopter crash in Malolos, Bulacan on Thursday afternoon.
Laus, owner of the aircraft, was among the three who were killed after it crash-landed in a pond in Barangay Anilao. Laus and the pilot identified as Everette Coronel were pronounced dead on arrival at the Bulacan Medical Center while their companion Wilfran Esteban died while undergoing treatment.
Laus, known as one of the more influential personalities in the automotive industry, was the chairman and founder of the Laus Group of Companies.
From humble beginnings as a small subdealer of automobiles in the late ‘70s, the company was grown by Laus into a network of 55 dealerships across Luzon.
According to its company website, LausGroup of Companies is a dealer of Mitsubishi, Ford, Hyundai, Chevrolet, BMW, Volkswagen, Jeep, Peugeot, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki, and Haima.
In an official statement, the Laus Group of Companies urge that memorial contributions be made and donated to the Levy P. Laus Foundation, Inc in lieu of flowers.
Laus was 68.