Charles Teves
Rocco Nacino called on the administration of a theme park in Manila to prioritize security, following an incident where his driver encountered a group of individuals believed to be thieves while waiting for the actor and his family at the parking area.
On a Facebook post last July 3, Nacino expressed his concern for the safety of the park’s visitors and emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of the amusement park.
“Yesterday, July 2, we visited [Manila Ocean Park] with my family. We were 2 cars and since it was a hectic day, we brought a driver with us,” he said.
“As he brought us to the drop off area where my parents were waiting for us, everything went smoothly and I instructed our driver to head to the parking area of Ocean Park and rest for a while.”
“While we were inside, our driver took a nap and turned off the engine of the car. Since hindi sanay matulog sa car, mababaw ang tulog niya.
“A little later, two cars parked in front of him, and out came seven individuals—five of them male and two female. They started circling around the car, slowly peeping inside, obviously looking for something.”
In light of the circumstances, Nacino’s driver became apprehensive and pretended to be asleep as a precautionary measure while keeping an eye on the people gathered around the vehicle.
“He heard one of the men say, ‘May tao ba? May makukuha ba?’ to which a woman replied, ‘Meron pala, natutulog,’” Nacino said.
“They started to exchange looks kung itutuloy nila o hindi, but then chose to drive away na lang.
“If my driver wasn’t there, basag ang windows ko niyan, kinuha na lahat ng valuables sa loob lalo na at kitang-kita na maraming baby stuff inside.
“If pumalag ang driver ko, most probably may baril ang mga lalaki na de kotse pa,” he further wrote.
Nacino also mentioned that he had intended to withdraw money and secure it in the compartment of his vehicle on that particular day, but luckily he did not do so.
He then clarified that he shared his experience not to criticize or speak negatively about the theme park, but rather to bring the matter to the attention of its management.
“But please, bump up your security. Increase roving around the parks inside and outside the park. Please invest on your security, lalo na maraming tourists na dumadalaw sa park and hotels,” he continued.
The actor also emphasized the importance of park visitors not leaving their valuable items inside their vehicles.
The theme park management responded to Nacino’s comments through the comments section, acknowledging the reported incident and stating that they were currently assessing the situation.
They emphasized that the security and safety of their customers remain their utmost concern and priority.
“Manila Ocean Park (MOP) implements security measures and protocols within the park, including its parking facilities to guard against criminals and unscrupulous individuals. We appreciate the public’s vigilance and cooperation in thwarting these elements,” the management said.
“Rest assured that MOP is currently evaluating the reported incident and will look into ways to further improve the security measures in place,” it added.
