Guard in Greenhills hostage drama charged

MANILA, Philippines — Criminal charges have been filed against a security guard who held more than 50 people hostage at a mall in Greenhills, San Juan, police said yesterday.

Alchie Paray, 41, was charged with frustrated murder, serious illegal detention as well as illegal possession of firearm, ammunition and explosive before the city prosecutor’s office.

Paray was arrested following at least 10 hours of negotiations with police and local government officials led by San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora shortly after he released around 30 hostages.

The rest of the hostages were secured by the authorities throughout the negotiations without Paray’s knowledge.

The suspect claimed that the incident was caused by unfair labor practices and corruption by officials of his security agency in relation to mall operations in Greenhills.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) denied allegations that a policeman in civilian clothes attempted to plant drugs on Paray while members of the special weapons and tactics team were trying to subdue him.

“I can say that it wasn’t like that. The people must have mistaken whatever the policemen were trying to place on me. I was being handcuffed, that’s the truth,” Paray said in Filipino through a video clip sent to reporters.

“I wasn’t charged with possession of illegal drugs,” he added.

NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said the policeman pulled out a handcuff from his pocket and was giving it to the arresting officers. 

In the video clips online, the object dropped onto the group of policemen surrounding Paray, but it could not be distinctly seen.

“It was his intuition to lend a hand to his fellow police officers who were arresting the resisting suspect,” Sinas said. “We had no other intention that night but to end the hostage crisis, rescue the victims and apprehend the suspect safely.”

Sinas assured the public Paray was not maltreated by police.

“No untoward incident happened to him while he was in the custody of the San Juan police. I visited him yesterday. He is safe and will be properly investigated,” Sinas said.