Probe to focus on security team’s liability
A police official said a big part of the investigation into the Resorts World Manila attack will focus on the liabilities of security personnel.
Southern Police District director Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario said that since the gunman, identified as Jessie Javier Carlos, is dead and could no longer be held criminally liable, the investigation will now focus on the liabilities of people who were not able to perform their duties well.
He said the Special Investigation Task Group was created to conduct the investigation into the incident will determine how the security team reacted to the scenario considering the suspect was already in full battle gear when he entered the establishment.
He said the loss of 37 lives could have been prevented had the suspect been immediately neutralized.
“Ideal sana nito, (at) the first sight na may intruder na ganyan, he should have been neutralized,” he said.
Earlier, Chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino, director of the Philippine National Police (PNP)Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA), noted several security lapses during the incident that led to the death of 38 people.
He said there was obviously a delay in relaying the information about an armed intruder and in the response of the security personnel.
“Yun ngayon ang succeeding report na pinapa-submit namin sa kanila. After noong na-confront ng security guard na tumawag daw, ano na ang nangyari, sino na ang next responder?” said Espino.
“Sabi ng COO (Chief Operating Officer), nakipagbarilan daw ‘yung in-house security pero wala sa report ng agency, so ibig sabihin hindi sila ang nakipag-engage. Ngayon question uli, pano na-engage ng in-house security yon, hindi naman accredited company guard, bakit sila may baril. Sabi ng management, bawal ang baril sa loob,” he added.
Espino also said that according to the report submitted to him over the weekend, there were firearms deployed in the area in case of emergency but it was not efficiently used that made them believe that the security agency has not designated a reactionary force for such event.
NC Lanting Security Specialist Agency, which provides security services to Resorts World, said they have around 200 security personnel for the Resorts
World but only 68 were on duty when Carlos, a former tax specialist at the Department of Finance went on a rampage in the casino.
The fire in the casino killed 37 patrons and employees, who died from smoke inhalation. Carlos was later found dead in an adjacent hotel, his body charred.
NC Lanting is assigned to secure the mall area, parking and the perimeter of the hotel. The casino is being manned by its inhouse security personnel.
The security personnel on duty at the time of the incident and the operations manager of NC Lanting were scheduled to give their statement to the PNP-SOSIA, which opened the investigation Monday into the tragic incident.
Senior Superintendent Ildebrando Usana, assistant chief of the PNP-SOSIA, said they will determine the security lapses of the security provider as well as the in-house security personnel.
Usana said they will also question why the security personnel were wearing Barong Tagalog and not the proper uniform.
“It is allowed but they have to get clearance from us (SOSIA) and, in this case, wala silang (they don’t have) approval,” he said.
Espino said earlier that based on the NC Lanting’s initial report submitted to him over the weekend, the security personnel who first encountered Carlos failed to stop him.
The report identified Mary Grace del Bano as the guard who tried to prevent the suspect when he entered the casino, but ran away. Her fellow guard, Edwin Cinaco, tried to confront Carlos.
Del Bano said she realized she could not subdue the suspect alone so she ran to make an emergency call and radio all posts about the armed man.
Cinaco, for his part, said he was threatened by the suspect.