President Rodrigo Duterte chats with the injured troops took back from Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro to Manila aboard the presidential plane on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by RICHARD MADELO/ Malacañang)
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night allowed wounded troops to use the Fokker F-28 presidential plane to fly to Manila.
Duterte was at Camp Brig. Gen. Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro to visit wounded troops who battled Maute terrorists in Marawi City.
“I’d like to give notice that, as the President has promised, [they used] his presidential aircraft last night on our way back to Manila from Cagayan de Oro and Iligan,” Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr., spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said in a Palace briefing.
“Those who were required by our medical professionals to be evacuated to Manila used the presidential aircraft and other aircraft of the Air Force to be transported to Manila, a fulfillment of his commitment to have the presidential plane used by the soldiers,” Padilla added.
The President has repeatedly said that the military could use his presidential jet in times of emergency.
In fact, he earlier told Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to convert the presidential plane into air ambulance. /atm
President Rodrigo Duterte chats with wounded troopers an ambulance following his visit to over 90 injured combatants confined at Camp Edilberto Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Also in the photo is Christopher Lawrence Go, special assistant to the president. (Photo by RICHARD MADELO / Malacañang)