A POPULAR mall in Greenhills, San Juan City reopened and resumed regular operations on Tuesday, March 3, a day after a 10-hour hostage incident involving a disgruntled security guard.
On Monday morning, March 2, 31-year-old Alchie Paray — a security guard, who was recently dismissed from work after being absent without leave for weeks — opened fire at a guard and over two dozen individuals hostage inside the V-Mall.
“Management will be implementing policy adjustments to ensure the safety and security of our employees, tenants and loyal patrons,” Greenhills Center Management said in a statement.
Paray detained around 30 mall employees inside an administration office in the mall for 10 hours, only releasing them after six of his former bosses apologized and resigned for their alleged unfair treatment of him and fellow security guards.
The sacked security guard, who was given a chance to address the media outside the mall after he released all his hostages, said he planned the hostage-taking because of the alleged corruption within the Greenhills Center Management.
He also claimed that some mall security guards were terminated from work without any explanations.
Among those who apologized and stepped down from their posts were Safeguard Armor Security Corporation (SASCOR) General Manager Oscar Hernandez, SASCOR director for operations Villamor Luis Jr. and Salvador Capadocia; Greenhills’ head of corporate security, Fernando Solina; security coordinator, Salvador Capadocia; and Assistant Director Frederick Gravador.
SASCOR is the security firm that employed Paray.
Paray was later tackled and arrested by San Juan City police officers as he aired his grievances.
Frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, and serious illegal detention cases will be filed against him, according to a police officer.
The security guard who was shot and wounded in the incident is reportedly in stable condition.
“What is important is that we had zero casualties,” San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora told ANC. “That was what we wanted. That the hostages can all go out safe. Everyone was in shock, very traumatized, they had to be given time to recover. They were shocked. They really need to rest. There were no injuries except the one who was shot earlier.”
