A video circulating on social media shows a security guard at a mall in Mandaluyong City confronting a sampaguita vendor.聽 (Screengrab of viral video)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The mall security guard in the viral 鈥淪ampaguita girl鈥� video has submitted his counter-affidavit, the Philippine National Police 鈥� Civil Security Group (PNP CSG) announced.
He appeared before the PNP-CSG last Monday to address issues stemming from the online video, where he was seen in an altercation with a girl who was selling sampaguita on the steps of a mall in Mandaluyong City.
鈥淭he security guard in question has already submitted his counter-affidavit, along with the counter-affidavit of the security agency,鈥� CSG spokesperson Lt. Col. Eudisan Gultiano told reporters in Filipino in Camp Crame in an interview on Friday morning.
鈥淗e did not personally appear, but a representative of the security agency did,鈥� she added.
With the security guard鈥檚 and the agency鈥檚 submission of their counter-affidavits, according to the CSG spokesperson, the preliminary evaluation will proceed over the next seven days to determine whether there is probable cause to file a complaint against the guard.
If a complaint is filed, a summary hearing officer will be assigned to handle the case and have it resolved in 30 days.
鈥淭he ground is a possible violation of the provision of RA [Republic Act] 11917, particularly on decorum of the security guard and the provision of complying with the security professionals鈥� creed and violation on security professional ethical standards,鈥� Gultiano said.
RA 11917 is also known as the Private Security Services Industry Act.
As to the penalty, the CSG previously said that if the case was found to be aggravated during the investigation, the maximum penalty would be the cancellation and revocation of the guard鈥檚 license to render security services.
The CSG handles the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (Sosia), which regulates private security services in the country.
The guard was asking the girl to leave the mall premises but, when the interaction heated up, he snatched and destroyed the girl鈥檚 sampaguita garlands.
He was dismissed from the mall, and the security agency apologized for his actions.