Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 2) — Six bosses of a former security guard at V-Mall in Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City have apologized and resigned in a bid to free around 30 mall employees he had held captive for hours.
Among those who apologized to the hostage-taker and resigned during a press briefing organized by police are Safeguard Armor Security Corporation General Manager Oscar Hernandez and the company’s Assistant Director Frederick Gravador, who introduced himself as the captor’s direct supervisor.
SASCOR is the security firm which employed the hostage-taker.
SASCOR director for operations Villamor Luis Jr. and Salvador Capadocia, its security coordinator for Greenhills, also apologized and resigned.
Greenhills’ head of corporate security, Fernando Solina, and the shopping center’s security coordinator, Salvador Capadocia, also said sorry and stepped down from their posts.
Their public apology and resignation are part of ongoing negotiations between police and the hostage-taker, who is disgruntled over his firing.
Hernandez, however, told reporters that the hostage-taker was not fired and was only supposed to be moved from his post as part of their agency’s policy to rotate security guards every few months. The hostage-taker was listening as his bosses spoke,
In response, the captor alleged via a handheld radio that corruption surrounded his termination.
It is still unclear whether the hostage-taker will finally let the hostages out.
At least one person has been hurt in the shooting and hostage-taking incident in V-Mall which began at around 10 a.m. Monday.
The suspect is armed with a pistol, officials said. During a video call with police, he also showed what he said were grenades in his possession.
