MANILA – In response to a widely circulated video, the mall security guard involved in an altercation with a sampaguita vendor has submitted a counter-affidavit to the Philippine National Police’s Supervisory Office on Security and Investigation Agency (SOSIA). The guard’s security agency also filed a counter-affidavit, with a representative submitting it on Thursday, according to Lt. Col. Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson for the PNP Civil Security Group, during a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Friday.
Gultiano explained that a preliminary evaluation of the case will be conducted within a week. If probable cause is found, a formal complaint will be lodged with a summary hearing officer. The officer will then have 30 days to make a decision on the case.
The involvement of the female sampaguita vendor is considered crucial for determining the validity of an administrative complaint. She is scheduled to appear before the SOSIA next week. Gultiano noted that if the vendor fails to appear, the preliminary evaluation will rely solely on the counter-affidavits and other evidence collected by investigators.
The outcome of the case could lead to the security guard being held accountable under Republic Act 11917, the Private Security Services Industry Act. Possible penalties include the suspension of the guard’s license and fines for the security agency.
The incident, captured on video and shared across social media, depicted the vendor, dressed in a school uniform, seated on the stairs near the mall’s entrance. The video shows the guard requesting the 22-year-old woman to leave, which she initially resisted. Eventually, as she stood, the guard seized the sampaguita garlands and appeared to kick her. In response, the vendor fought back, hitting the guard with the now-ruined garlands.