Guard in viral 'sampaguita girl' video apologizes; agency says he's not fired but off-detail, temporarily suspended
The security guard in the viral "sampaguita girl" incident at a mall has apologized for how he treated the 22-year-old vendor.
The Philippine STAR reported that he appeared before the Philippine National Police on Monday, Jan. 20, particularly the officials of the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) at Camp Crame. According to Civil Security Group spokesperson Lt. Col. Eudisan Gultiano, he was with his employer Redeye II Security Services Inc. and a lawyer.
Per a report by GMA's 24 Oras, the guard said he lost his patience hence him grabbing and destroying the sampaguita she was holding and driving her away.
Red Eye II Security and Services Inc. said he wasn't fired though he's off-detail and temporarily suspended pending investigation.
The security agency's operations manager Marvin Lacanglacang told the media outlet that they will implement additional programs and training for their personnel to prevent such incidents moving forward.
“Ang sa amin lang, sa sitwasyon na 'yun, kinausap na lang namin 'yung guard namin na sana huwag na ulit mangyari 'yun," Lacanglacang said. "Kung ano man ma-encounter, susundan na lang natin 'yung tinuturo sa mga training."
In the viral video, the girl, in a high school uniform, was sitting on the platform outside SM Megamall when the guard approached her and seemingly instructed her to go away.
Things escalated when he grabbed the sampaguita she was holding and threw it on the ground, causing a fight between the two.
The visibly agitated girl hit the guard, who then blocked her attacks. He was then seen kicking her left thigh and striking her in the body a few times.
The guard's moves raised concerns over hitting a high schooler. There were also speculations on whether she was part of a syndicate.
The girl was later confirmed to be a 22-year-old scholar in a private school and not a syndicate member. The Department of Social Welfare and Development interviewed her family, learning she's a first year medical technology student "striving to finish her studies" by selling sampaguita with her twin sister.
Social media users questioned why she was wearing a high school uniform even though she's already a college student. DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said that she only had to because of their financial troubles, while the sampaguita vendor told ABS-CBN News that she wanted to keep her only college uniform clean for school. Her mother, in another interview with ABS-CBN News, said wearing a high school uniform also boosts her chances of selling sampaguita.
The girl's family said they won't press charges against the security guard.
SM Megamall, in a statement the day the video went viral, said the guard has been dismissed and will no longer be allowed to service SM malls.
Following the incident, the PNP said the guard's license may get revoked as he "possibly" violated conduct and decorum in the performance of his duty.