Ex-security guard in mall hostage-taking to face raps

FILE: Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team take positions in one of the entrances of the mall during the hostage-taking at Virra Mall in Greenhills, San Juan City on Monday (March 2, 2020). (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said on Tuesday illegal possession of firearms and frustrated murder charges will be filed against the hostage-taker inside a mall in San Juan City.

In a press conference in San Juan City hall, Sinas said Alchie Paray, a former security guard of Safeguard Armor Security Corp. (Sascor), was also tested negative for illegal drugs.

Authorities recovered from Paray a caliber 45 pistol, two magazines with 16 live ammunition, and a tactical knife, after the nine-hour standoff.

Sinas said he assured that the V-Mall area in the Greenhills shopping center was cordoned off during the hostage-taking incident.

A Crisis Management Task Group was immediately activated by San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, ably led by the Ground Commander, Col. Jaime Santos, Sinas said.

“Upon planning of tactical strategy to be executed, Paray’s demand was granted. In return, he freed all the hostages safe and sound.

He was given an opportunity to speak out his heart and mind which turned out also as a chance for plain-clothes men of PNP and AFP to apprehend the suspect,” Sinas said.

Authorities guaranteed that all the decisions made were calculated and all efforts were given to secure the safety of the hostages.

Meanwhile, Zamora said the suspect calmed down when his superiors apologized to him.

Zamora also said during negotiation, Sascor offered PHP1 million for him to surrender and release the hostages but Paray refused.

“Ang kailangan niya marinig lang yung hinaing. Napakasimple. Kaya binigay natin (What he needed was for his grievances to be heard. It was very simple. So we granted him that),” he told a press conference.

He added that Paray had agreed to release the hostages and surrender to authorities as long as he was allowed to hold a press conference, to which the authorities complied.

Paray was allowed to talk to the media without handcuffs to air his grievances for almost 20 minutes.

Paray complained about the management’s poor treatment of him and his fellow security guards which prompted him to plan the hostage-taking.