Stricter firearm regulations were called for after a security guard at a warehouse in Antipolo City shot his reliever over repeated tardiness.
Reports said the security guard shot his colleague several times after the latter was 30 minutes late for his shift.
The victim died on the spot.
A CCTV footage of the incident also went viral.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Manongdo, Antipolo City Police chief, said the victim had been late for his duty for “ten days” already.
“‘Yung suspek natin, parang buong araw nang nagdu-duty. Initially, sabi niya, parang araw-araw na late ‘yung kasama niya,” the police said, referring to the reliever.
Investigations revealed that the suspect confronted the victim for being habitually late, a recurring issue between them. Instead of apologizing, the suspect claimed the victim had threatened him and his family.
“Pinagalitan po kami,” the suspect said in an interview.
“Dala po ng galit pati po sa pagbabanta niya sa’kin pati sa pamilya ko,” he added.
“Sa akin, wala naman pong problema, pero ayaw kong nadadamay pa ‘yung pamilya ko,” the suspect continued.
The suspect surrendered to the police and expressed regret for the incident. He also asked for forgiveness from the victim’s family.
He is facing a homicide charge, though authorities are considering upgrading it to a murder charge.
The news, along with the CCTV footage of the shooting, led Filipinos to call for stricter firearm regulations, given the suspect’s reason for the attack.
“Ang kailangan, higpitan ang firearm regulation — regular mental fitness and neuro assessment for firearm carriers,” an online user commented in response to the report.
“Kaya kailangan ng full psychological assessment talaga for jobs like this that involve handling firearms,” another Pinoy wrote.
“Dapat talaga mas paigtingin pa mga test, lalo na sa mental health ng mga taong nagdadala ng armas. Hays! Mga tao ngayon, may sinigang mix sa pag-iisip!!” another X user said.
“That’s f**king scary… parang ang dali-dali lang para sa kanya pumatay. People who cannot control their emotions shouldn’t be given firearms,” a different Pinoy wrote.
“Do they go through tests to check on their mental well-being before hiring them? This is another reason why they shouldn’t be provided with firearms. A simple disagreement because one got late doesn’t deserve being killed using the issued firearms,” another online user said.
Reports said that according to a 2017 memorandum issued by the Philippine National Police, private security service providers can only issue shotguns and handguns to security guards.
Security guards are authorized to carry firearms as part of their duties, primarily for protection against robberies or other unforeseen incidents.