Knife-wielding Iloilo Airport passenger shot for trying to stab cop
By Tara Yap
POLICE gather evidence after a knife-wielding passenger was shot by a police officer at the Iloilo Airport on Jan. 28, 2026. (Contributed photo)
ILOILO CITY — A knife-wielding passenger was shot when he tried to stab a responding police officer at the Iloilo Airport on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 28.
A knife was found from Roland Lañojan, 54, a resident of Camiguin bound for Davao, at the only security screening before going to the pre-boarding area of the Iloilo Airport.
He was asked to undergo manual inspection of his bag but he attempted to evade authorities by seizing the bag from an X-ray machine and fleeing the area.
“PNP Aviation Security Group personnel immediately responded and attempted to convince the suspect to surrender his weapon. Instead, the suspect attempted to stab responding police personnel,” the Philippine National Police said in a statement.
“The suspect posed an imminent threat, prompting the responding police officer to discharge his service firearm,” the Police Regional Office-6 said in a separate statement.
Lañojan was taken to the hospital for a bullet wound in the chest and will face criminal charges.
Initial security screening was removed at the entrance of the Iloilo Airport departure area in the last quarter of 2025.
The order came from Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez who said the Marcos administration wants to ease travel across the country.