ILOILO — Citing gaps exposed by the January 28 knife and shooting incident at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has recommended an airport-wide security overhaul, calling for tighter inter-agency protocol synergy, upgraded screening equipment, added personnel, and expanded facilities to keep pace with surging passenger traffic.
Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque, who led February 5’s joint committee hearing on the airport incident in aid of legislation, said testimony from security and tourism officials showed the need to strengthen coordination among airport stakeholders and modernize facilities to prevent a repeat of the incident.
“Definitely we can see the need for the improvement and regular review of the existing security plans of our airport security stakeholders to strengthen coordination and synergy among concerned agencies and their established centralized response mechanism,” Debuque said.
She identified the key agencies that must work in closer lockstep: the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Aviation Security Group, and the Office of Transportation Security (OTS).
Beyond protocols, Debuque stressed the need for immediate upgrades to security equipment and airport facilities, noting that the terminal has outgrown its original design.
“The Iloilo International Airport is major hub, so definitely the facilities and the equipment need to be upgraded to actually serve the (air travel) demands of the region and of the country,” she said.
She added that security screening on the third floor must be improved and staffing increased.
The SP is ready to lobby national agencies for solutions — including expanding the terminal — to address bottlenecks caused by long queues at the initial ground-floor screening, said Debuque.
“Subong pa lang umpisahan na naton lobby dugangan expand ang aton Iloilo airport,” she stressed.
Data presented during the hearing underscored the strain: CAAP-Iloilo Terminal Supervisory Arthur Parreño and Department of Tourism Region 6 Regional Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez said the airport was built in 2007 to handle about 10 flights a day, but now accommodates nearly 40 daily.
Rodriguez told the panel that passengers and tourists have repeatedly complained about long lines at the ground-floor screening area — prompting her to request CAAP-Iloilo in 2025 to explore adjustments that would ease congestion.
Debuque said the SP will study all submissions and issue a committee report within two weeks, with recommendations addressed to concerned national agencies.
“The joint committee really needed time to ruminate over the facts that were presented during this hearing so that we could give comprehensive recommendation to the respective national agency,” she said.
She also thanked airport security stakeholders for acting swiftly after the incident by deploying additional personnel./PN
