A viral video of a security guard from a popular mall has sparked discussions on social media after showing an incident involving a young sampaguita vendor in Mandaluyong City.

Meanwhile, the security guard lost job after incident went viral on social media – the mall management fired him after they took notice of the incident.

Security Guard Forcibly Grabs Sampaguita from Student

The circulating videos reveal how the security guard seemingly became violent while evicting a young student seated on the steps outside SM Megamall, carrying a bundle of sampaguita.

The footage shows the security guard forcibly grabbing the sampaguita from the student. In response, the child attempted to hit the guard with the plastic bag containing the flowers. The video also captures the guard slightly kicking the child.

The video, which quickly spread across Facebook, TikTok, and X, has drawn a wave of reactions and criticisms against the security guard.

SM Megamall Terminates Guard

Meanwhile, the management of SM Megamall issued a statement on Thursday, January 16, 2025, expressing their sympathy for the ordeal the child experienced at the hands of their employee.

“We regret and sympathize with the young girl who experienced an unfortunate incident outside our mall,” they said.

Furthermore, they stated that the security guard has been terminated and will no longer be eligible for employment at any branch of the said mall.

“We have called the attention of the security agency to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation. The Security Guard has been dismissed and will no longer be allowed to service any of our malls,” they reiterated.

Netizens support the Mall’s Response

In relation to this, many netizens appeared to support the mall’s response to the issue. Others, however, defended the security guard, stating that he was merely doing his duty based on the mall’s protocols.

According to frequent visitors of the mall, many children are known to sell sampaguita in the area, with some resorting to aggressive behavior such as hurting, cursing, or even spitting when not accommodated.

Authorities are also considering the possibility of revoking the security guard’s license.