Cops question Villaruel’s driver

"Umuwi ka na. Kapag di kita tinawagan, nasa sa iyo kung sunduin mo pa ako o hindi (Go home. If I don’t call, it’s up to you if you fetch me or not)."

Those were former Air Transportation Office chief Panfilo Villaruel’s last words to his 34-year-old driver, Danilo Salvan, when Salvan brought Villaruel and an aide, Navy Lt. (sg) Ricardo Catchillar, to the ATO at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Parañaque City last Saturday.

Salvan was questioned for three hours by Parañaque City police yesterday to shed light on Villaruel’s motive for seizing the airport control tower, built in the 1990s when he was air transportation chief.

Police learned from Salvan that Villaruel and Catchillar were at the control tower since Friday afternoon, according to Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque City police chief.

Villaruel left his Merville Subdivision home in Parañaque around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Estilles said, citing Salvan’s account. Salvan drove Villaruel to a Caltex gas station outside the village, where they picked up Catchillar, who came in a green car, a Mitsubishi.

Catchillar left the Mitsubishi at the service station.

Police, using a bomb-sniffing dog, found five pounds of TNT in the trunk yesterday. They also found the right rear window of the vehicle smashed.

Inspector Emma Gallero said police are checking if the car belonged to Catchillar or someone else.

After picking up Catchillar, Salvan brought the two to the ATO at NAIA’s Terminal II and waited outside till noon. From there, they then went to the control tower, about two kilometers away from the main ATO office.

Salvan waited for Villaruel and Catchillar in the lobby until 7 p.m. "The wait was so long he fell asleep," Estilles said.

At around 7:30 p.m., Villaruel called for him and the three had dinner on the top floor of the control tower. There, Villaruel told Salvan that he could leave.

Salvan went back to Merville — he stays with the Villaruels — not noticing anything unusual. He went back to the tower to fetch Villaruel but by then it was too late — Villaruel and Catchillar had already seized control.

Salvan learned about Villaruel’s death the following morning.