Nava shooting incident a 'wake up call' to capitol's security policy
Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr. has ordered a thorough inspection of visitors as well as provincial government employees going inside the New Iloilo Provincial Capitol building following the shooting incident which occurred at the lobby of his office last Tuesday.
Tupas, through an executive order, instructed the security guards posted on the capitol's entrance to conduct rigid search of individuals and their belongings before allowing them to get inside the building.
Female security personnel will also be posted to conduct body search on female visitors.
Tupas said he will also impose a one "entry one exit policy" at the capitol building. The entrance at the back portion of the capitol will be permanently closed.
Visitors with firearms would be required to leave it with the guards on duty except those duly authorized by the governor such as his security personnel.
Tupas met with Iloilo Rehabilitation Center warden Juan Mabugat, General Services Office chief Ramie Salcedo, Provincial Legal Officer Salvador Cabaluna III and Provincial Planning and Development Office chief Mario Nillos last Wednesday to discuss the new security scheme that will be implemented in the capitol.
Tupas earlier admitted that security personnel of Illustrious Security Agency, the capitol's contracted security agency, committed lapses in failing to detect that Sumakwel Nava had a gun when he entered the capitol premises.
He said the incident was a "wake up call" on the security measures being implemented at the capitol.
Nava, reportedly, is a radio blocktimer for Tupas, handling a 45-minute program every Saturday over Aksyon Radyo Iloilo.
Tupas, however, denied that Nava works for him.
Nava, who is still at large as of press time, shot his nephew Napoleon Nava after an altercation at the lobby of the Governor's office last Tuesday afternoon while the municipal mayors are having a meeting at the boardroom.
Napoleon was hit in the left leg by a .45 caliber pistol.
Before the shooting, Sumakwel reportedly scolded Napoleon upon seeing him at the lobby of the governor's office for using his name in asking money from politicians.
Sumakwel managed to escape the capitol after the incident despite passing through several security personnel.
Napoleon was immediately brought to the Provincial Health Clinic at the second floor of the capitol for first aid. He was then transferred to a hospital.
In a radio interview Napoleon vowed to file frustrated murder charges against his uncle.
Sources said Sumakwel and Napoleon had long been at odds with each other for personal reasons.
The same sources said that the two also had a fist fight several years ago during a gathering of Iloilo mediamen in a place beside the old provincial capitol.
Sources added that in once instance Sumakwel also hit Napoleon with a hard stick during a media gathering at Four Season Hotel about three years ago.
Napoleon was a former radio broadcaster while Sumakwel is one of the panelists in a weekly cable television talk show aside from being a radio blocktimer.
Meanwhile, Board Member Angel Briones chair of the Provincial Board's committee on police matters reportedly would declare Sumakwel a "persona non grata" at the capitol.
Briones said Sumakwel's actuation endangered the lives of capitol employees even as he cited that the incident had put the Iloilo Provincial Capitol in a bad light.