When in Manila, public safety may come with a giant question mark.
Even if you are inside a crowded but “somewhat” secured location, when bad things are meant to happen, they will happen.
What started out as a normal Saturday for me turned the other way around after experiencing tremendous panic a couple of hours ago at SM Megamall. Yes, I was there when the robbery happened and gunshots echoed inside the people-packed mall.
I was a little under the weather today so I initially decided to spend the weekend at home. I normally spend weekends traveling around because as a food and travel blogger, gallivanting is the best way for me to learn and earn information that I can share. However, being sick, the body began craving for some hot soup so I went out to give this new ramen shop in SM Megamall a try.
My experience in that ramen house would have been what I was supposed to share if the robbery/shootout did not happen. After eating dinner at that ramen house, my friend and I decided to have a cup of tea before going home. We were just sipping hot tea and “seriously” playing the recently launched Temple Run 2 when we saw people from every direction running towards us. During that time, I already heard a couple of loud bangs so my instinct told me to grab my phone and backpack, and run away as well. Of course, I also grabbed hold of my friend and we went towards the Atrium.
Trembling with fear, we entered one lingerie shop and run into the fitting rooms. There were also a few shoppers who ran there while other shoppers ran to some of the shops nearby. A large group of people went up to the chapel at the topmost floor of SM Megamall. One of the staff in the lingerie shop locked the door and at one point, the Atrium was empty – like a scene from Eight Legged Freaks. We hid inside the fitting rooms and waited. Then, we heard a few loud bangs again. That was when my life began to flash back in front of me. “Is this it?”
