Shoplifting suspect’s death probed by NBI

CEBU CITY—The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas is looking into the death of a 23-year-old man who was allegedly beaten up by security guards of a department store after he was caught shoplifting a pair of sandals.

Mario Alfie Ducayag was beaten up inside the security office of the mall Metro Gaisano Colon on April 12 after he was accosted for shoplifting.

Mauricio Doblados, chief security officer of the mall, had executed an affidavit naming Jeffrey Aquino, the security camera operator of the mall, as the one who beat up Ducayag.

Aquino, whose work contract expired on April 22, pointed to Doblados instead. Aquino said it was Doblados who ordered him to fetch the company nurse after Ducayag lost consciousness.

Aquino said all he did was place handcuffs on Ducayag before he fetched the nurse.

On April 12, Ducayag was at the mall and bought items at the mall supermarket worth P171.75.

He was on his way out around 2 p.m. when female security guard Margie Gaser stopped him since the pair of sandals that was inside Ducayag’s shopping bag didn’t have any receipt.

Saying that he left the receipt behind, Ducayag went to another payment counter where he claimed he paid for the sandals.

Lawyer Gerrlyn Sayson, mall legal counsel, said the cashier manning the other counter did not recognize Ducayag. “They never transacted with him,” Sayson said. She said had Ducayag left his receipt in the counter, it would not get lost.

Ducayag was taken by officers of the mall to the security office to view footage from a CCTV camera that would show if he did pay for the sandals or not.

According to Doblados, Ducayag had seizure in the security office and was taken to a hospital where he died.

An autopsy by the NBI, however, showed that Ducayag suffered injuries caused by a blunt object. The autopsy was requested by Ducayag’s mother, Fe.

Doblados and Aquino had pointed accusing fingers at each other.

Sayson said Doblados and security guard Arnel Tanudra had been suspended.

Mall officers Cesar Celerio and Melvin Boyles were also suspended by the security agency they work for, Negrense.