Accountability

Going by the numbers alone, the “siege” of Marawi City certainly outranks, in terms of news value, the rampage of that supposed lone gunman in Resorts World Manila.

Authorities have put the number of the dead in Marawi at 107—including 21 soldiers, seven policemen, 63 Maute gunmen, and 16 civilians—with 93 wounded. The count doesn’t yet include the number of children, the elderly and others who have sought shelter in evacuation centers and moved in with relatives in the area who have been falling ill due to unsanitary conditions in the centers as well as from the lack of medicines, food and water.

Of course, this is not to minimize the depth of the tragedy at Resorts World, where a supposed “longtime guest” and player shot up the place and set playing tables on fire in the casino. His actions resulted in the deaths of 37 customers and employees of Resorts World, and he set himself on fire and shot himself (the exact sequence has yet to be established).

That these two events took place at the same time, with the Marawi crisis preceding the Resorts World shoot-up by a week but still continuing as this is being written, highlights all the more the troubles visiting this country. The threat of martial law, now in place in the entire Mindanao with the possibility of being escalated to nationwide coverage, cannot but add to the overall tension. These are times of peril and threat, fear and loathing, and whether at home or abroad, it seems like right now, it sucks to be Pinoy.

***

News of the gunman’s rampage in one of the first establishments to be put up in the grand plan to establish a “gaming city” in Manila filtered through social media late Thursday evening.

At once, given the tragedy unfolding in Marawi, people couldn’t help but link the shooting to the threat of nationwide martial law. Was this the “excuse” the President needed to broaden the coverage of martial law, which he had been threatening to do for days?

Certainly, the ease with which the gunman entered the casino while toting a long firearm (rumors are spreading that he was even heard shouting an Islamic call to battle) sparked speculation that first, he wasn’t acting alone, and second, he would be taking hostages next.

The morning after, given the gunman’s supposed suicide, authorities are busy downgrading both his motivation and capability. The latest I heard is that he was a disgruntled gambler who had lost quite a bundle at the tables and decided to steal millions

of pesos worth of casino chips before getting his revenge by burning the place down. (One question: Where did he plan to use the chips if Resorts World was turned into ashes?)

————

Quite apart from the questions being raised about the gunman’s quirky actions are queries about the preparedness of Resorts World’s management and personnel to deal with emergencies and safeguard their customers.

Makati Rep. Luis Angel Campos Jr. has issued a statement saying that “the loss of lives (in Resorts World) is simply unacceptable.” He said the management of public spaces need to “constantly review and upgrade their security plans and emergency preparedness, especially their procedures in safely evacuating patrons and staff to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.”

The 37 who died at Resorts World suffocated from smoke inhalation. One question that pops up, at least to my amateur mind, is why no one was prepared to wield a fire extinguisher at the burning tables once the gunman had turned his back. Survivors report that members of the staff were among the first to flee the premises, although there have also been reports from other survivors that they were directed to nearby exits so they could safely leave the building.

Indeed, a probe needs to be carried out regarding the preparedness and capability of the management to ensure customers’ safety should (God forbid) a similar incident take place again. Meanwhile, all we can do now is pray for the souls of the dead in Resorts World and in Marawi, and hold all those responsible accountable for their actions, or lack of them.