Mayor orders review of security protocols after mall shooting

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu on Monday, May 11, called for a review of security agencies’ policies and protocols following the shooting by a security guard at the Festive Market inside Festive Walk Mall in Mandurriao district a day earlier.

The mayor reiterated the statement she issued on Sunday, May 10, following the incident, which left one person, a Festive Market worker, injured.

She said then that she had already directed Iloilo City Police Office director, Police Col. Wilbert Parilla, to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the incident.

On Monday, she shared her view with the media, saying she saw the incident as stemming from a mere misunderstanding.

“I called Parilla to investigate that matter. We saw that it was a simple fight. I also listened to the suspect’s [media] interviews [and saw] the lack of understanding [between the suspect and the victim],” the mayor told the media on the sidelines of a groundbreaking activity by the city government.

Treñas-Chu said the incident calls for a review of security agencies’ protocols, considering that the suspect had already been working as a security guard for a long time.

“This suspect has been working for years now. Sometimes, they [security guards] might need additional seminars, [because] they might be forgetting their protocols. So, we will be calling on the security agencies to see what can be reviewed with their protocols, on hiring and on their operations,” she said.

Megaworld, which owns Festive Walk Mall, has refused to give a statement, with a representative telling Daily Guardian that the suspect was employed under Festive Market of SaveMore, which it emphasized was one of its tenants.

As of this writing, Daily Guardian is also attempting to reach out to SM, which owns SaveMore.