VIRAL: Netizen captures on video MRT security guard shooting vagrant

Photo: ABS-CBN News.
Photo: ABS-CBN News.

Two days ago, there were reports of an MRT-3 security guard shooting a vagrant in the foot after the latter reportedly refused to leave the train tracks. And now, a video of the incident has gone viral after a train passenger posted it on Facebook.

Business process outsourcing agent Gabby Goncero posted the video on Wednesday, the day that the incident took place.

He told Coconuts Manila that he was on the way home from work when his train stalled at the Magallanes station in Makati because the security guards were chasing after the naked vagrant or “taong grasa.”

He took a video of what occurred, which as of writing has been shared more than 24,000 times.

Taong grasa (literally “grease person”) are vagrants often seen in the streets of Manila. They are usually homeless people with mental health problems.

Goncero estimated that he saw the event happen from 8:30 to 9am.

“I was surprised because I don’t know how he was able to climb the [MRT’s] fence,” he told Coconuts Manila in Filipino. “They were throwing rocks at each other until he (vagrant) was shot and caught. After which, our train left.”

He said some of the passengers on the train thought it was funny. “Some didn’t care, but some were also worried,” he said.

One netizen thought shooting the loiterer was unnecessary. Wrote Vhinvin Cuevas: “Is it really necessary to shoot him? The naked man is mentally ill. That’s wrong. If rocks are being thrown at them (guards) they should have a shield.”

One netizen defended the guard who shot the vagrant.

Wrote Ace Castañeda: “I’m annoyed at people who are saying the guard was wrong [for shooting at the vagrant]. Mental problem or no mental problem he’s (vagrant) a danger to other people since he’s throwing rocks in the middle of train tracks. [I]t’s the duty of the guard to protect the place, trains, and passengers. Plus the intention of the guard is to maim, not to kill. You’re all sympathetic but if you were in the guard’s place, what would you do?”

Another person also defended the guard. Wrote John Digma: “What the guard did was right. The man is crazy, he can’t just be stopped. He was throwing rocks.”

Some netizens found the situation amusing, which didn’t sit well with Mark Blyth, who called them “scum[s].”

According to reports, the vagrant was brought to the Makati Hospital for treatment. RMN reported that the security guard surrendered his weapons to the authorities. He’s currently being investigated.



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