Resorts World security chief says they thought gunman was ISIS
(Eagle News) — Lawmakers on Wednesday (June 7) pressed the heads of the security of Resorts World Manila why they allowed the lone gunman, Jessie Carlos, who was not even a terrorist to roam around the casino and hotel premises.
During the hearing at the House of Representatives, lawmakers pointed at the security lapses at the Resorts World Manila where an arson attack done by Carlos, a former employee of the Department of Finance (DOF) who was deep in debt because of gambling problems, took the lives of 37 people after inhaling toxic fumes early Friday, June 2.
Armeen Gomez, head of the safety, security and surveillance of Resorts World, cited his credentials, saying that he was a former head of security in De La Salle University and that he had handled delicate security situations before. But lawmakers in the congressional hearing questioned how he had handled the Resorts World Manila incident, incredulous that a lone gunman, who was not even a terrorist, was not immediately stopped by hotel security personnel who were more than 200 at that time.
House Majority Leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas noted the lapses in the security of Resorts World as the gunman was able to enter the Resorts World premises, without going through a proper security check. He said Carlos was not even frisked when he entered the mall area after alighting from a taxi.
Carlos even rode an elevator carrying his bag that contained his sub-machine gun and his bottle full of gasoline.
Gomez defended their security, claiming that the gunman, Carlos, appeared to be a regular guest or customer, which was why they did not resort to stricter security checks at the establishment’s entrance.
Carlos also did not pass through the metal detector, and it was then that a lady guard tried to stop him. It was then that he drew out his gun and M4 carbine, scaring off people, and even the security personnel. They were seen in the CCTV footage scampering off, leaving the gunman alone as he set fire to tables, chairs and carpets.
“There were thousands of cameras. You have monitors. And you saw that there was only one perpetrator moving around freely around the facility and we do not see any response on the part of the in-house security,” Farinas said.
Resorts World security assumed gunman was part of ISIS
Gomez said their people thought that he was part of the ISIS, and perceived the gunman Carlos to be a terrorist.
He said that the footage would show that the gunman was able to bypass their metal detector, and that an unarmed lady guard tried to stop him, but Carlos held a light machine gun which scared them.
“If we’ll go back to the footage and the narration of the incidents, your honor at 12:11 a.m., the gunman bypassed a metal detector, our security personnel employed thereat, attempted to stop him, but the assailant managed still to overpower the security. It’s obviously a far superior force being executed by a perceived terrorist,” Gomez said.
“At that time, people were staring to panic. Some were even shouting: ‘ISIS, ISIS’. With this assumption at that point, we immediately realized, this was beyond our capacity already,” he explained.
He said that they then immediately contacted the police for reinforcement.
Resorts World has 250 security men at the time
Upon questioning on the number of security personnel that Resorts World had at the time, Gomez said that they have around 100 external and 150 internal security members — or 250 security personnel at any given time.
“There was only one malefactor there, and you felt it was a superior force as against your 200?” asked Farinas.
Gomez answered: Your Honor at that time, people were shouting ISIS, ISIS.
Farinas cut him then, “But you have monitors, you were watching.”
Lawmakers watched the videos from the CCTV footages inside Resorts World, and questioned why a security personnel who was close to shooting the suspect, had to run when the gunman came out of hiding. They also questioned why only a lone lady guard who was not even armed was stationed at the metal detector of the Resorts World — making it easy for the gunman Carlos to bypass this.
“We are embarrassed to the people of the Philippines. We are in grief. More than our grief, we are angry as representatives of the people that these things can happen,” Farinas said.
“My mother goes there, people go there. My children go there. And then things like this happen. And this was a lone person whom the PNP had discounted as not even a terrorist!” he noted.