Mandaluyong City Police Senior Superintendent Armand Bolalin confirmed the incident, identifying "Martilyo Gang" to be behind the robbery at a jewelry store in Megamall.
"The robbers used hammers to rob the jewelry store," Bolalin said.
"It's a hold-up. They used hammers to get the [jewelry] from the counter," Bolalin added.
This reporter saw people in panic, running in big groups from SM Megamall Building B.
The shooting started at the upper ground floor of department store in SM Megamall Building B, a little past 7 pm.
As of this posting, Bolalin said no casualties have so far been reported.
"There's no report of anyone injured in the incident yet," he said.
Meanwhile, SM management issued a statement around 11 pm. It said it "deeply regrets the robbery incident at a jewelry counter inside SM Megamall on Jan.26 at approx 7:26pm."
SM, quoting initial reports, confirmed "Martilyo Gang" was behind the heist.
"They pounded the jewelry fixtures, broke the glass and stole a still undetermined amount of jewelry before escaping. A gunshot was reportedly fired at the ceiling but fortunately, no casualty was reported," the SM statement added.
SM also confirmed the robbers were able to escape.
"SM is cooperating with the police to ascertain how or why the Martilyo Gang was able to escape detection. The management has beefed up security and we would like to assure the public that we will be conducting a thorough investigation," SM added.
In an earlier phone interview, SM Megamall spokesperson Ian
Mathay confirmed the robbers were able to whisk away jewelry. But he
refused to say how much the jewelry cost.
"The police is still
conducting initial investigation. We don't know how much is the estimate
but I can confirm jewelries have been taken away," Mathay said.
Earlier, Lovely Navarra, a sales lady in the department store, said a series
of loud crashes caught mall employees' attention. She then saw a group
of men who were collecting jewelry from the counter.
"There was a
loud crashing sound from the cosmetics section. When we looked, we saw
the counter destroyed before we heard gun shots," Navarra said in
Filipino.
"We all panicked and hurried away. Then we heard another series of shooting," she recalled.
Another
witness, who requested not to be named, said she saw three men dressed
in police uniforms walking around the jewelry counter before the
shooting, which lasted for more than 30 seconds.
Confused mall goers were able to go out of SM Megamall at about 8
p.m. The mall was cordoned off until Special Weapons and Tactic units
from Philippine National Police Mandaluyong and Pasig arrived at the
area past 8 pm.
Cops refused to comment about the uniformed
policemen spotted at the jewelry counter, noting they could just be part
of the cosplay event that was held at SM Megatrade Hall earlier on
Saturday.
Security guards opened SM Megamall to allow people recover their belongings they left behind when the incident took place.
Related slideshow: Photos post-robbery
