A male passenger was shot at the pre-departure area of the Iloilo International Airport in the town of Cabatuan on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 28, for attacking police officers with a bladed weapon.
According to the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), the shooting incident occurred after security officers detected and flagged a prohibited item inside the passenger’s backpack during the screening process.
“Upon request to submit the bag for manual baggage inspection, the passenger reportedly seized the bag from the X-ray machine and fled the screening area,” it said.
The passenger, while fleeing, retrieved the bladed weapon and tried to stab one of the police officers who intervened.
“In the course of this response, the passenger was shot in the chest. He was subsequently brought to the hospital for medical attention,” the OTS said.
The passenger was identified as Roland Lañojan, 54, of Tayong Sagay, Camiguin. He is confined at the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
The incident is “currently the subject of further investigation by the OTS, in coordination with airport authorities and law enforcement agencies”
In a report by the Philippine News Agency, Airport Terminal Supervisor and Public Information Officer Arthur Parreño said personnel from the Philippine National Police, the Civil Aviation Authority Security and Intelligence Service and private security providers are deployed to assist in securing the airport.
“As much as possible, that will be the solution in the meantime until such time that we come up with a proper consideration.”IMT
