(Eagle News) — Thirty six people died from suffocation in a hotel in Pasay, where a lone gunman who tried to rob the casino there burnt furniture and other items to try to escape.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde said in a television interview that 54 people were also injured–18 of which had to be rushed to the hospital—in a stampede that ensued following sight of the suspect who barged inside Resorts World Manila carrying the baby armalite.
Albayalde denied this was an act of terrorism, and was related to what was happening in Marawi, saying this was only a “local peace and order concern.”
“Ngunit marami lang ang nadamay at nasawi,” Albayalde said.
What happened
According to Albayalde, police received a call about the incident from the Resorts World Management at 12:05 a.m.
Police arrived around 12:15 a.m.
“The first time (the gunman) entered Resorts World he was alone. He left his car in the carpark. Pagpasok he was already hanging a baby armalite sa shoulder niya,” Albayalde said.
He said the lone internal security personnel there–a woman–approached the man, but when she saw the weapon, she “got rattled.”
“He was seen by the public, and that created the stampede which caused the 54 injuries,” he said.
He said the police responders ran after the suspect, who was trapped in the hotel following their arrival.
He said there was even a short encounter between the police and the suspect, who went up to the fifth floor.
There, the suspect, who had with him a 2.5-liter bottle of gasoline, an “extra” one and an “long igniter,” set fire a carpet so the smoke would shield his face from the closed-circuit television camera there.
“When we went to the fifth floor, he went to the second floor and even burnt a BMW,” he said.
Albayalde said the suspect used an entire bottle of gasoline on the casino, where most of the bodies were found.
At one point, he said the suspect filled his backpack with gambling chips.
“He lit some of the tables and furniture kaya ang bilis kumalat ng apoy sunog. Hindi gaano kalaki ang apoy but the smoke had a tremendous effect on the victims,” Southern Police District director Senior Supt. Tomas Apolinario said in a television interview.
Albayalde said when the police went down to the second floor, the suspect,–who was “mentally disturbed,” “white,” “big” and “speaking in English”–went back to the fifth floor.
“That’s where he found him in room 510,” he said.
He said the suspect was already dead when found by the police.
He had apparently wrapped himself in blankets, poured gasoline on himself, set himself on fire, and then shot himself in the head, Albayalde said.
He said police also recovered from a bathroom the knapsack containing P113 million ($2.3 million) worth of gambling chips which the suspect had tried to steal from the casino.
Fatalities
Apolinario said in a television interview that those found dead were mostly women.
“Inaalam pa namin kung ito ay employees pero mukhang merong mga visitors,” he said.
He said while there were fire exits, “baka nagpanic most of the victims kaya ganun.”
Albayalde added the area was also a “confined” space.
In fact, he said firemen had to break as many windows as they could to allow air to enter the place.
“As of now cleared na ang hotel. There are still areas na medyo mahirap pasukin dahil sa smoke so inaayos pa sa ngayon, but as far as danger and threat is concerned, the building is already cleared,” he said.
