"Saving lives should be the top priority of any rescue mission and the president fully respects Tang Fei's decision to penalize the authorities responsible for the mistake," Chang said.
Chang also responded to New Party legislators' accusations that two out of the four Seagull rescue helicopters were reserved for the president's use.
He said that Chen was not aware of the former government's arrangements, and that the president had immediately ordered the two helicopters concerned to be assigned to rescue missions only.
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