(Eagle News) — Police on Sunday identified the gunman in the Resorts World Manila attack that left more than 30 dead on Friday.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde said Jessie Carlos, 42, was identified by his kin based on the footage recovered from the closed-circuit television camera in the establishment.
Carlos, a Filipino, is a former Department of Finance employee, a tax specialist, assigned to a One Stop Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center, who was discharged because of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth issues.
In a 17-page decision received on April 25, 2014, the Ombudsman–acting on a complaint filed by the Revenue Integrity Protection Service—dismissed Carlos for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty after he failed to disclose his house and lot in Manila in his 2003 to 2006 SALNs, his Toyota Innova in his 2007 SALN, and his business interest in his 2010 SALN.
The Ombudsman found that Carlos, whose gross income from 2001 to 2011 was P2,460,156, purchased two farm lots in Batangas for P4 million in cash in 2010.
“With respect to the respondent’s liabilities, noticeable is that his credit card liabilities in the amounts of P600,000 and P4 million respectively remained dormant for several years, with the latter loan increased to P5 million in 2010,” the Ombudsman said.
Despite his loans, the Ombudsman said Carlos was able to purchase a Toyota Innova worth P1,600,000.
“The failure to declare some of his assets at the time these assets were actually acquired and/or registered under his name and his scheme of claiming several indebtedness without giving particulars, i.e., from whom he acquired these enormous loans, reflect his evil desire to conceal his ill-gotten wealth,” the Ombudsman had said.
The Ombudsman also then ordered the filing of graft and perjury charges against Carlos.
Carlos filed a motion for reconsideration but the Court of Appeals upheld his dismissal.
Albayalde said Carlos owed the banks around P4 million and owed another amount from non-bank entities.
“He had to sell his Ford Ranger due to financial constraints,” he said.
High-roller
The police official said he was a “high-roller gambler” who bet a minimum of P40,000 in casinos.
In April, Albayalde said Carlos was banned from casinos by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation based on a complaint by his kin.
He is separated from his legal wife, and has three children–one son and two daughters.
“Hindi namin alam na magkakaganun siya. Humihingi kami ng tawad,” Teodora Carlos, the suspect’s mother, said.
She said her son was a good person who only got hooked to gambling.
“…This is not an act of terrorism but…is confined to the act of one man alone…We ask for people to stop spreading false speculations linking this act to terrorism. Again, as we always maintained, this is not an act of terrorism!,” Albayalde said in a separate statement.
He said the police would continue to investigate any lapses committed that led to the incident.
