DSWD eyes support for girl in altercation with guard in viral video

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian. Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) aims to provide psychosocial support for the girl who was seen in a viral video in an altercation with a security guard at a mall in Mandaluyong City.

The video circulating online showed the guard asking her to leave the mall grounds but snatching and destroying the sampaguita she was selling in the process.

READ: Mall guard sacked for destroying young girl’s sampaguita for sale

“We do not tolerate hurting a child. We will seek out the child and her family in order to provide psychosocial support and other possible interventions to keep her out of the streets selling sampaguita,” Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a statement on Thursday.

“We will also be looking for the concerned security guard to lecture him on how to treat children kindly, so we can prevent similar incidents of manhandling from happening again,” he added.

Further, the DSWD said Gatchalian tasked its Metro Manila field office to possibly collaborate with the mall management to train employees on how to treat children in a similar situation as the girl in the video.

The security guard has since been dismissed from the mall, according to its management, with an investigation underway.

READ: PNP says mall guard in viral video may lose license

The Philippine National Police Civil Security Group, which regulates private security agencies, on Thursday said the guard may lose his license for having possibly committed ethical violations in the incident.