The government is now investigating the cause of the crash of the military plane, which crashed in Sulu over the weekend.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ordered a probe into the crash of the C-130 plane, which killed at least 50 military personnel and civilians on the ground and injured 49 others.
He noted among the issues to be looked into is why the newly acquired aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) malfunctioned.
To recall, a newly acquired Black Hawk chopper also crashed in Tarlac last month.
Roque said President Duterte would first wait for the outcome of the investigation before deciding what to do with the rest of the Air Force’s new air assets.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo lamented the incident, which killed several soldiers.
“We wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the relatives and friends of those who died while we pray with the families for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Panelo said in a news statement.
He called for prayers for the victims of the mishap.
For its part, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) urged the public to remember the contribution of the said soldiers.
“As the old saying goes, our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them,” FFW President Sonny Matula said.
“The sacrifices of these workers in the defense establishment will always be remembered by a grateful nation,” he added.