QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — The National Capital Region Police Office on Wednesday stood by its original statement that the act of Jessie Carlos that led to the deaths of 37 Resorts World Manila guests and employees was not a terrorist act.
This even as House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez insisted during a House of Representatives inquiry that the attack could be classified as an act of terrorism.
“Kung nag-cause ng terror so anong tawag natin doon? It’s an act of terrorism right? It’s an act of terrorism by itself, strictly defined,” Alvarez claimed.
“A person who harms and kills anybody indiscriminately is an act of terrorism, whether or not he is a member of a terrorist (group) or is a known terrorist.”
NCRPO Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde however explained that Carlos was not connected to any terrorist group and that the death of 37 hotel employees and guests was due to suffocation.
“Well basically, sir, the definition is an act … of violence that would create massive casualties and massive fear in the population,” NCRPO Chief Albayalde said during the hearing.
“The deaths (that) were caused during the incident … (were) incidental to Carlos’ torching of the gaming tables and slot machines,” he explained
“It was not intentional on the part of the suspect to really kill those people,” Albayalde added.
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