The Mandaluyong police have identified the young woman in the viral video being forcibly removed by a mall security guard, confirming she is not part of a syndicate but a legitimate student.
In a statement, Mandaluyong Police Chief PCol. Mary Grace Madayag said they have spoken to the woman, an 18-year-old scholar from a private institution.
According to Madayag, the young woman sells sampaguita flowers to support her family, who were recently displaced by a demolition in Quezon City.
The incident sparked outrage online, with netizens slamming the treatment of the student by the security guard, whose actions are now under investigation by the Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA).
Lawyers from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) have also stepped in, providing the student with legal consultation.
While no formal complaint has been filed yet, the possibility of legal action against the security guard remains.
