January 26, 2013 would have been just another busy Saturday at a mall as busy as SM Megamall with swarms of shoppers and visitors. Just then, a brazen robbery put the entire mall in lockdown.
As of this writing, investigation is still ongoing while the culprits are still at large. What is clear is that there seemed to be a lapse in security in the mall which allowed this crime to occur and put the people in peril.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time unfortunate incidents happen in an SM mall. Back in 2011, there was a shooting incident in SM City San Fernando in Pampanga which claimed the lives of two minors. There were two other shooting incidents that occurred in the premises of an SM mall as well.
Yet, it puzzles the mind of the Urban Roamer as to why, despite all these incidents and all the earnings SM has made in its mall operations, SM still has not decided to beef up its security. They could at least invest in metal detectors and/or x-ray machines. They can afford to do so, but it seems they are too stingy to pay for these necessities to keep its shoppers a bit more safe.
More unfortunate is the fact that some security personnel do not seem to know their jobs well. They may wave their sticks or handheld detectors tapping or scurrying each bag they see but it seems they don’t know what they’re looking for, or don’t seem to do a thorough search well, especially to those who do not have the equipment at hand. Instead, some of these security would care more on keeping their eye on people who hold DSLR’s and call their attention. Yes, it seems DSLR’s are more dangerous for these guards instead of firearms. Mind-boggling, isn’t it?
This is not to demean the rest of the security personnel who I know are doing what they can to keep their premises secure. But given their limitations, it would be very helpful for them to have some help in doing their duty. And by that, I mean more security equipment to be installed for extra protection such as x-ray machines and metal detectors. In fact, I have long been crying out loud that SM must make the extra effort. SM has been so busy building new malls and expanding existing ones which cost billions of pesos but they seem to neglect the aspect of security. These machines may not totally prevent these incidents but they can at least alleviate them. little alleviation is better than not doing anything at all.
Or do something like enforcing stricter security by the security personnel that will become more lax after a few weeks or so.
=========================
On another note, I am glad to report that the Urban Roamer has made it in Mabuhay Magazine. To be specific, my photo of St. Pancratius in La Loma Cemetery has made a prominent presence in the October 2012 issue of Mabuhay Magazine as a contributed photo for an article entitled “Manila’s Spookiest Sites” which was contributed by the Urban Roamer’s inspiration himself, Mr. Carlos Celdran.
My deep gratitude to the people of Mabuhay Magazine for the opportunity to make a little contribution to the magazine.
© The Urban Roamer
