The Mandaluyong City Police confirmed they have located the viral “Sampaguita girl,” an 18-year-old student who was forcibly removed by a mall security guard in an incident that drew heavy criticism online.
In an ABS-CBN News, police chief Col. Mary Grace Madayag clarified that the girl is a medical technology scholar at a private institution and not involved in any criminal activity. The student sells sampaguita flowers to help her family, whose home in Quezon City was recently demolished.
“She is a legitimate student and a scholar striving to support her education and family,” Madayag said. The barangay also verified her situation.
The Commission on Human Rights has provided legal consultation to the student, but no decision has been made on filing charges against the security guard, who is under investigation by the Philippine National Police-SOSIA.
The viral video, taken on December 17, 2024, shows the guard destroying the girl’s garlands and kicking her after she retaliated. Netizens have called the guard’s actions abusive, prompting his dismissal, according to a statement from the mall.
The student, prioritizing her studies, has requested the video be removed from social media while her family decides whether to pursue legal action.
