Airport siege described as an isolated act

The President's Palace yesterday described Sunday's foiled takeover of an airport control tower in the capital by a disgruntled former government official and his military aide as an "isolated act" as it quickly tried to douse speculations that the incident was part of a larger plot to take over the government.

"The takeover of the air traffic control tower at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Centennial Terminal 2 was an isolated act and had nothing to do with any destabilisation move, based on results of an initial investigation, Ignacio Bunye, spokesman for President Gloria Arroyo said yesterday.

Bunye issued the statement clearing the incident despite the discovery by police of a car filled with explosives several kilometres away from the airport.

Bunye also said that killing of retired Air Force Col. Panfilo Villaruel, former chief of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) and his aide, Lt. Ricardo Gatchillar, by airport police commandos was "justified considering the time, the place and the circumstance of the hostage situation."
The car's ownership has been traced to Gatchillar.

"We condole with the families of the victims, but the assault and slaying are a necessary consequence of a police operation," he said as the commando operation drew condemnation from critics who described it as an "over kill."