Security guards detailed at the ground floor of the upscale Greenbelt 5 in Makati City have been temporarily replaced pending investigation of the daring robbery of a watch store at the mall last Sunday.

The decision to replace the guards came after Emirates Security Agency Chairman Edgar Aglipay admitted that his men committed lapses in protocol when they did not communicate with Makati police as gunshots rang out of Greenbelt 5’s Rolex watch store.

“Hindi nakapag-coordinate yung security sa mga pulis, yun ang naging lapse,” said Aglipay, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

Two Taguig City policemen — SPO1 Cesar Tiglao and PO1 Efren Ceniza — shot it out with the heavily armed robbers as they happened to be at the mall on Sunday noon serving as police escorts of Taguig Mayor Freddie Tiñga.

One of the seven suspects — purportedly members of the Alvin Flores crime group — was killed. He was later identified as Armando Manangan Domingo, 32, of San Mariano, Isabela.

Chief Inspector Dennis Macalintal, Makati Station Investigation and Detective Management Branch (SIDMB) head, said that Domingo had a standing warrant of arrest for murder, among other cases.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said it would place the mall guards under investigation to iron out the kinks seen during the robbery response. There are 33 Emirates guards detailed at Greenbelt (Ellson A. Quismorio)