NCRPO chief asks mall owners to beef up security following heist

MANILA, Philippines—The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Wednesday reiterated its recommendation to mall owners to beef up the security in their establishments after the daring heist in a jewelry shop at a popular mall in Pasay City.

“Our policemen cannot guard the malls at all times because their task is to protect the whole community and just one particular sector,” NCRPO chief Director Carmelo Valmoria told a news briefing at Camp Crame.

On Sunday night, four rookie policewomen engaged in a shootout at least 10 armed men who entered the SM Mall of Asia and robbed a jewelry store near the mall entrance.

The four—Police Officers 1 Maricel Rueco, Mercelina Bantiyag, Delia Langpawen and Juliet Macababbad—were members of the NCRPO Regional Public Safety Battalion stationed at the mall’s police assistance desk.

Using lead pipes and wrenches, some of the robbers fired shots and broke the jewelry display cases, creating panic among shoppers.

One of the robbers was wounded in the brief shootout with the policewomen while another was arrested by responding members of the Pasay City Police Special Reaction Unit.

Despite police efforts to improve security in shopping malls, Valmoria lamented that a number of mall operators still refuse to heed the NCRPO’s suggestions such as implementing stricter inspection procedures at entry points.

He admitted, however, that they could not force mall operators to adopt their recommendations as these would entail additional operational expenses.

Among the NCRPO’s recommendations was for mall owners to install X-ray machines at the main entrance and banning shoppers from wearing bull caps while inside the establishments.

Meanwhile, Valmoria said the bravery shown by the four rookie policewomen who shot it out with the robbers was a result of the improvement in the training of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel.

He added that PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima would present service medals to the four in a ceremony at Camp Crame on Monday.