Hostage-taker faces raps
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 03 Mar 2020 09:14:59 +0000
POLICE subdue hostage-taker Archie Paray, a former security guard, after he agreed to come out and release the hostages he held for nearly nine hours at V-Mall in Greenhills, San Juan City, Monday. (Alvin Kasiban)
By JHON ALDRIN CASINAS
The security guard who shot his fellow guard and held hostage more than 30 employees for nearly nine hours at a V-Mall in Greenhills, San Juan City is facing a string of charges, police said.
San Juan Police chief Col. Jaime Santos said hostage-taker Archie Paray was set to be charged Tuesday with frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, illegal possession of explosives, and serious illegal detention before the San Juan City Prosecutors’ Office.
The 39-year-old former security guard of Safeguard Armor Security Corporation (SASCOR), who police said went on an absence without leave (AWOL), walked right into the administration office of Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City at around 11 a.m., according to a police report.
Authorities said Paray shot fellow security guard Ronald Beleta twice in the body before taking hostage 31 employees inside the admin office located on the second floor of the shopping mall. Beleta was rushed to the nearby hospital and was said to be in stable condition.
After almost nine hours of hostage drama, Paray exited the establishment at around 8 p.m. and surrendered himself to the authorities following hours of negotiations.
He came out of the mall after top security officials of the shopping center and its hired private security agency apologized and tendered their resignation.
Paray, however, was not immediately handcuffed and taken to the police station. Instead he was allowed to air his grievances in front of the media, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, city officials, policemen, and shopping center’s security guards.
There were also bystanders watching the hostage drama behind the police line and the veranda of the opposite establishment.
Little did the media and the onlookers that Paray was actually armed with a pistol when he walked out of the establishment together with the hostages.
Zamora defended their decision to let hostage-taker carry his gun out in public, saying that it was part of their planned negotiations in exchange for his surrender and the release of his hostages.
Paray was eventually subdued and disarmed by policemen when stopped speaking.
Authorities reportedly seized one fragmentation grenade, a loaded .45-caliber revolver and a fan knife. He also underwent a paraffin test.
According to police, Paray reportedly has no records in the Philippine National Police Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA).
Paray said that it was the alleged unfair treatment of workers and “corruption” of high-ranking security officials of the shopping center and its hired security agency that prompted him to pull the hostage-taking.
The alleged corruption was denied by the high-ranking officials of Greenhills Mall and its hired security agency SASCOR during a press briefing.
RODY ‘HAPPY’
President Duterte is “happy” that no one was killed in the hostage situation that gripped a shopping mall in San Juan, Malacañang said Tuesday.
The President has welcomed the resolution of the hostage incident and recalled his action when faced with a similar situation during his stint as
http://tempo.com.ph/feed/