Passenger with ‘bladed weapon’ shot in chest at Iloilo Int’l Airport, says DOTr

A male passenger was shot in the chest by authorities at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation's Office for Transportation Security (OTS) said. 

In a statement, the OTS said that one of its security screening officers in the provincial airport flagged a prohibited item inside the passenger’s bag, which called for a secondary screening.

However, the suspect reportedly seized his bag from the X-ray machine and fled the screening area when he was asked to undergo a manual baggage inspection.

The OTS added that the passenger retrieved a "bladed weapon," which prompted a response from police officers at the airport. 

The statement did not specify what the item was.

“Personnel of the Philippine National Police promptly intervened and undertook appropriate action to prevent possible injury to surrounding passengers and airport personnel. 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 incident is currently the subject of further investigation by the OTS, in coordination with airport authorities and law enforcement agencies,” it added. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BM, GMA Integrated News