MANILA, Philippines—With hurt etched on his face and clear in his voice, the Philippine Air Force chief could not let pass a slight allegedly committed by a radio commentator against the service and the men and women in it.

The commentator, who was not identified, alleged described military aircraft as “flying coffins and widow-makers” in the wake of last Monday’s crash of a C-130 cargo plane in the sea off Davao City. The phrase is an oft-repeated refrain about PAF aircraft.

“I am very angry... that person is brainless, heartless, ruthless, reckless... I will describe him or her as a wild animal,” fumed PAF commander Lieutenant General Pedrito Cadungog in a hastily-called press conference at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Thursday.

Addressing the hushed members of the press, Cadungog said: “My fellow Filipinos, don’t ever believe that. I will fight for the last pilot or airman in the PAF. I will not allow any crew or pilot to fly because [a plane] is a flying coffin. I value all the lives of the men and women of the Philippine Air Force and I value all the souls of any Filipino, foreigner or any human being who will ride any of our air assets.”

Eleven people -- nine from the Air Force and two from the Army -- were on the plane that crashed.

Cadungog said he had a sleepless night after hearing the comment made on a radio program and then receiving text messages from friends protesting it.

Cadungog said Monday night’s crash was the first major incident involving a PAF C-130 in 14 years.

“How many of our fellow Filipinos have gone from one place to another because we were requested -- senators, congressmen, agencies -- that have interest in using our C-130s? Do you mean to say, commentator, that we flew them in a flying coffin? That we are widow-makers?” he said.

“How I wish I could argue with the commentator and explain to him or her that the Air Force is not a widow-maker and our airplanes are not flying coffins, most especially the C-130,” he said.

The C-130 Hercules is an all-weather military workhorse that has been in the PAF’s fleet since the early 1980s. The one that crashed was more than 30 years old.

Cadungog later apologized for his outburst, saying he could not help but get emotional over the radio attack, even as the Air Force was trying to make the best of its limited fleet.

“We have prepared ourselves for that reality (dying in the service). Our families know that. That is our reality. I am not exempt,” Cadungog said.

The August 25 crash took out one of the PAF’s last two working C-130s. Three are undergoing repair and the only one left is undergoing a thorough inspection at its base on Mactan, the 220th Airlift Wing.

The PAF has announced it is working to acquire eight new utility helicopters and 14 attack choppers in the coming months using a P6.2-billion fund.

Later, in a lighter mood, Cadungog joked: “I’ll challenge that commentator to a fist fight.”