ILOILO — Despite the recent knife incident at the Iloilo International Airport passenger terminal in Cabatuan town, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. rejected calls to restore the initial or ground-floor X-ray screening there, arguing that adding another layer of inspection would hurt tourism and undermine travel convenience.
Defensor made his position clear on Friday morning, January 30, as airport authorities weigh recommending to the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) the return of the first screening following public concern over airport security.
“Kon ako lang, indi. Kay you know why? (That’s) the general trend in airports because of tourism, because of common sense. We reduce levels or mga stages bala sang travel sa airport for tourism and for convenience,” Defensor said during a press conference.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) – Iloilo said it is reviewing its passenger screening configuration after a 54-year-old man, identified as Roland Lañojan of Sagay, Camiguin, managed to enter the terminal with a bladed weapon on Wednesday afternoon, January 28.
CAAP-Iloilo Terminal Supervisor and Public Information Officer Arthur Parreño said the agency is open to restoring the initial or first layer of screening at the ground floor — a procedure removed in October 2025 to streamline passenger flow under a directive from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Defensor explained that the removal of initial screening is not unique to Iloilo or the Philippines, noting that many airports abroad have already abandoned multiple screening stages in favor of smoother passenger flow.
Explaining that first-layer screening is typically imposed only when threat assessments indicate serious risks such as terrorism, Defensor said Iloilo does not fall under such a category.
“(The restoration of initial screening won’t be) good for tourism and travel, the general convenience sang travel, kag ang trend subong waay na sia. In fact kita na lang ‘di sa Pilipinas ang naga-check sang ticket. Sa iban nga countries waay na. Masulod ka lang ya unless lang depende sa threat mo. It depends what kind of country you are (from). Indi kita sina amo na nga klasi sang country, puede mo na sia (initial screening) kuhaon,” he added.
‘Isolated’ case, no security lapses?
Defensor maintained that the recent airport knife and shooting did not point to a systemic security failure, stressing that the bladed weapon was detected at the pre-departure X-ray screening area and that the incident escalated due to the passenger’s refusal to comply with authorities.
“Natabo ini kay indi sia magpati sa pulis, indi tungod nga wala sang x-ray. Indi sia magpati sa police kag talagsa lang ina ya. This is very isolated,” Defensor said.
He described the incident as unfortunate but said, based on the facts presented to him, it amounted to an infraction of airport rules rather than a breakdown of security protocols.
“Nakita naton may violation because he cannot bring a knife inside the airplane and have to leave it behind so it was apprehend and unfortunately kinahanglan pa i-force ang police to the limits, and as it appeared, our law enforcers did their job. It was just another incident nga nakalab-ot sa amo to. I know that this is isolated,” he added.
The governor also recalled a personal experience years ago when he accidentally carried a pair of scissors in his bag at an airport and complied immediately when security personnel asked to inspect it.
“Kon magsiling ang police nga buksan ang bag, buksan mo kag ihatag, ibilin mo man lang kay you have to leave this behind eh. Very unfortunate (if) indi ka magpati. Its appears to me waay lapses (in the Iloilo airport incident) but again I have to ask them how the investigation is proceeding,” Defensor said.
Defensor further pointed out that the decision to remove the first screening layer was ordered by the DOTr itself and defended the directive, saying most airports nationwide no longer use X-ray machines at the initial screening stage./PN
