Police will summon the security guard who manned the entrance of the Cebu City hospital where a wheelchair-bound elderly patient managed to sneak in a gun and shoot his doctor before killing himself to determine how the facility’s security measures were breached on the day the crime happened Thursday.
Supt. Marvin Sanchez, chief of the regional office of the PNP Firearms and Explosives, Security Agencies and Guards Supervisory Section, said officials of the Royal Paratroopers Security Agency which provides security services to the Sacred Heart Hospital in Urgello St. will also be summoned in the ongoing investigation.
He said the security guard could be held administratively liable if he’s found to have failed to follow security procedures when he allowed Wilfredo Sabonsolin entry into the hospital.
The security guard’s license may be suspended and be made to pay a fine ranging from P200 to P500.
Sabonsolin, 72 fatally shot Dr. Cris Cecil Chan Abbu in the chest and arm inside the hospital’s Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center with a .380 cal. pistol he kept in his sling bag. He then shot himself in the head.
Inocencio Dela Cerna Jr., legal counsel of the Sacred Heart Hospital, corroborated media reports that said the security guard frisked Renel Tanilon, who was pushing Sabonsolin’s wheelchair, but allowed the patient in without getting screened.
“In this particular case, the patient is very familiar in the hospital. He’s addressed as “Tatay” there. He underwent rehabilitation at Sacred Heart Hospital for the past three to four years. He was familiar to the guards,” he said.
Forensic experts had subjected Sabonsolin to a paraffin test to determine the presence of gunpowder burns in his hands, but results were not available as of yesterday.
Dela Cerna said all security guards who were on duty Thursday morning were relieved and were replaced by a new set from the same security agency.
“We will decide whether to retain or replace the Royal Paratroopers Investigation and Security Agency after the judicial determination of facts,” he told Cebu Daily News.
“Who would have expected someone on a wheelchair, a charity patient at that, to kill his doctor? But well, things happen,” he added.
Senior Supt. Noli Romana, chief of police of Cebu City, meanwhile said the tragic incident was a wake up call for hospital managers to review their security procedures.
“As to us in the PNP on the security lapses, meron talaga. Nakapasok ang pasyente na may baril, but we can’t totally blame them (security) also dahil kung determined ang killer, gagawa at gagawa talaga ng paraan (There were security lapses indeed since the patient managed to enter the hospital with a gun, but we can’t totally pin the blame on the security guards because a determined killer would do everything to accomplish his plan),” Romana said as he visited the wake of Dr. Abbu at the St. Peter’s Memorial Chapel.
Back to normal
The hospital’s operations went back to normal yesterday. Two security guards and six criminology interns were manning the main entrance. They inspected bags of some students and visitors who entered the facility. But there were others whom they did not inspect.
“Lax kaayo ang security dinhi. Wala man gani ko gi-inspect. (Security here is so lax. My bag wasn’t even inspected by the guards),” a female student who passed by the main entrance told CDN.
A Crisis Management Committee (CMC) was created by the hospital management hours after the incident to look into possible security lapses and to address a variety of concerns.
The committee is composed of Southwestern University’s President Noe Quiñanola, Vice President for Administration Jonah Lafuente, SWU College of Law Dean Godwin Maguinsay, De La Cerna, and the school board members.
“First, the committee will find ways and means so this incident won’t happen in the future.
Second, we need to review our security procedures. And finally, the committee will extend financial assistance to the family of Dr. Abbu and do whatever we can to alleviate the sorrow of his family,” said De La Cerna, the designated spokesperson of the CMC.
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