Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Undersecretary and spokesman Thompson Lantion said there was no "overkill" in the police assault on retired Col. Panfilo Villaruel and Navy Lt. (sg) Ricardo Catchillar in the effort to retake the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II (NAIA-II) control tower they seized last Saturday which resulted in their deaths.
Lantion clarified the police assault was not an overkill since conventional weapons were used against the two slain suspects.
"Overkill or excessive is not to use special weapons and tactics (SWAT) but by the use of helicopter gunship, Abram tanks and even artillery in killing two suspected terrorists," Lantion said.
He said overkill or excessive force is what was manifested by US forces in killing the two sons of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein where they deployed all available firepower to neutralize their target.
"The use of the SWAT team was not an overkill compared to what the US did in the killing of the two sons of Saddam Hussein in Iraq," Lantion said. "The US forces even bombed the building and that was really overkill."
Lantion said only a squad of SWAT personnel were deployed against Villaruel and Catchillar only to effect their arrest.
It was unfortunate, however, that the policemen have to respond to a force that was necessary to neutralize the threat, he said.
He said the police assault team did its job "according to the book."
Lantion said security has been increased at the perimeters of the NAIA and other vital air transport installations all over the country as he expressed his concern that last Saturday’s incident could affect the good ratings made by the US Federal Aviation Authority on the country’s airport security.
"The incidents may affect the ratings of the FAA. We might be back to No. 2 rating," he said.
Lantion said an investigation into last Saturday’s incident by the DOTC is still ongoing. — With Christina Mendez