Giving in to captor’s pleas: Greenhills mall security officials resign, apologize

MANILA, Philippines — Six security officials of a popular mall in San Juan City have stepped down from their posts as a disgruntled former security guard holding hostage around 30 persons inside Greenhills’ Virra Mall demanded their resignation.

The security officials, who were signed up under Sascor Armor Security Agency, also apologized to the suspect identified by the police as Archie Paray, who was recently fired from his job and decided to seize the mall’s administration office on Monday morning.

The security officials gave in to the demands of the suspect in a bid to de-escalate the tension that gripped the shopping center. They hoped their gesture would finally resolve the standoff.

Authorities identified the security officials as:

1. Fernando Solina – Head of Corporate Safety and Security of the mall

2. Salvador Capadocia – Security Coordinator of the mall

3. Henry Tuason – SASCOR security agency field officer

4. Frederick Gravador – Assistant Director of SASCOR

5. Oscar Hernandez – SASCOR General Manager

6. Villamor Sebastian – Sascor Director for Operations

One of the security officials said Paray could have been discontented over the management’s implementation of a “rotation” scheme.

“Maaring sumama ang loob niya dahil may ginawa kaming rotation. Kinakailangan ang security may rotation to avoid familiarity of the guards,” Hernandez said.

(He possibly had bad feelings about the rotation plan. The rotation of security is needed to avoid familiarity of the guards.)

The security officials took turns reading out statements saying sorry to Paray as they promised to resign from their posts. They said they already submitted their letters of resignation.

The suspect claimed he initiated the hostage-taking because he was sacked from his post due to the “corruption” of his superiors.

But Hernandez had denied that Paray was fired. He explained that Paray was only relocated as part of the “rotation” of security personnel.

Paray had earlier demanded to speak with his fellow security guards as well as the media.

So far, these demands have been met as he was allowed to speak with his former colleagues via video call and was able to interact with the media.

Eastern Police District (EPD) Deputy Chief for Operations Col. Orlando Yebra said the hostage-taker had wanted to make two of his superiors eat P2,500 worth of cash but had agreed to not push through with it.

KGA

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