Guard seen hitting mentally ill person in Facebook video fired from job in Negros Occidental

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental — A security guard was terminated from his post Saturday after a video showing him kicking and hitting a mentally ill woman with a bamboo stick in front of the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City posted on social media drew angry comments from netizens.

The video posted on the Facebook account “Gugma Pa More”ť Friday had drawn 210,798 views and 346 comments as ofmidnight Sunday.

The security guard, identified as Rolly Agasang of Pax Security Agency, who had been assigned at the Capitol for about 12 years, has been relieved from his post, Vinchito Magalona, security-in charge at the Capitol, said on Monday (Feb. 8).

Complaints will be lodged against him before the Commission on Human Rights, and the Philippine National Police Firearms, Explosives, Security Agencies and Guard Section, for the revocation of his security guard license, according to Magalona.

Security guards at the Capitol have been instructed to observe maximum tolerance, and hitting and kicking a person could not be tolerated, he said.

The “Gugma Pa More” Facebookť  page said the video of theguard hitting the mentally ill woman was taken January 23.

The guard said the mentally ill person had been defecating and scattering dirt on the ramp for disabled persons at the front entrance of the Capitol, Magalona disclosed.

On January 23, the guard had just swept the garbage at the entrance of the Capitol and had gone inside to get a dustpan but when he returned he found that the mentally ill person had scattered it all again, Magalona said.

The mentally ill person who had a bamboo stick then hit the guard on the head prompting him to grab the stick from her and shoo her down the ramp, Magalona added.

However, Magalona said, that did not give the guard the right to hit her.

Angry netizens called the guard heartless and aired their sympathy for the mentally ill woman on Facebook.  SFM