Guard caught destroying child vendor's sampaguita garlands, fired

A security guard caught on video destroying a Sampaguita vendor’s wares outside SM Megamall has been dismissed, SM Supermalls said in a statement.

In a post on Facebook, SM Supermalls condemned the incident and expressed sympathy for the young girl, who was dressed in her school uniform at the time and “experienced an unfortunate incident outside our 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,” the statement read.

The viral video shows a mall guard shooing away a student selling Sampaguita garlands, which escalates to him damaging the flowers. The girl retaliates by hitting him with the ruined garlands.

The video ends with the guard walking away as the girl watches. First posted on TikTok in December 2024, the video has garnered 3.1 million views, with most viewers sympathizing with the child.