The mall has addressed the matter.
In a statement released on Thursday, January 16, SM Megamall aired its side on the incident that involved one of its security personnel and a female child selling flowers outside the mall.
“We regret and sympathize with the young girl who experienced an unfortunate incident outside our mall,” the management wrote.
The response continued, “We have called the attention of the security agency to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation” and added that the security guard “has been dismissed and will no longer be allowed to service any of our malls.”
“As SM Supermalls always promotes inclusivity for all, we strongly condemn this act committed against her,” it ended.
In the video, which has since made rounds on social media, the guard was seen shooing the child, who was still in her school uniform, away from the steps outside the mall’s entrance.
The situation immediately escalated after the man took the sampaguita garlands being sold by the child and damaged those.
This led to the girl retaliating by hitting back at him using the already destructed flowers.
The clip finished with the guard moving away, while girl stood and watched as he walked into the distance.
Originally uploaded on TikTok in December 2024, the video has since garnered 3.1 million views on social media, with users mostly sympathizing with the young girl.