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What happened in the Megamall robbery?
Shoppers in Metro Manila have gotten used to undergoing security checks before entering a mall. Yet the robbery of jewelry stores in SM Megamall last week, in which one of the robbers was able to bring a handgun into the mall, was a colossal failure of security. According to a police investigation, the robbery happened in under two minutes, with the robbers able to exit the SM department store right after the deed, breezing through at least three exit points where security guards should have been stationed. Last week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said they were considering the possibility of fining the security agencies serving SM Megamall. Police told GMA News Online that there are seven different agencies serving the mall, and they were not coordinating with one another in response to the crime, which also caused the PNP's delayed response. This interactive map shows where the robbers entered and left the mall, and where the mall's security measures failed. — Research by Amanda Fernandez. Interactive map produced by Wayne Manuel, with Candice Montenegro/BM/HS, GMA News
- According to the police investigation, five men entered the Upper Ground Floor of SM Megamall using the SM Supermarket entrance fronting EDSA.
- The group turned left and took the escalator down to Lower Ground Floor to head towards ACE Hardware.
- The robbers went inside the hardware store to purchase two pipe wrenches, which were later used in the robbery.
- The robbers then took the escalator up to the Upper Ground Floor. The group entered the SM Department Store through a side entrance located near the supermarket.
- Based on CCTV footage, the robbery began at 7:26 PM. Two of the robbers used pipe wrenches to smash the glass display cases of The Jeweler and F&C Jewelry, while the rest served as lookouts. One man fired shots when SM security guards approached the area. The robbery took about two minutes.
- Once the robbery was concluded, the group went down to the Lower Ground Floor via an escalator located inside the department store. Joining the frantic mall-goers exiting the area, the group managed to leave the mall through the exit leading to the basement parking area, where their getaway vehicle was waiting.
- Security breach: The robbers had to pass at least two exit points—the department store exit and the mall exit leading to the parking area—where security guards should have been stationed. In addition, the getaway car was able to exit the parking area, where security guards should have been present as well.
