It’s called closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. In the case of Resorts World Manila, it allowed a heavily armed intruder get in give a Powerpoint presentation of its security system. Indeed it was an attack by a lone wolf, a sore loser.
Resorts World management, under pressure during Wednesday’s House probe of gunman Jessie Carlos’ siege of the casino, fielded Armen Gomez, chief of security, safety and surveillance; and Kingson Sian, RWM president, to parry off questions on its security.
The House committees on public safety and games listened to the two RWM officials deny that there was a lapse in its security. The legislators were not convinced by Gomez and Sian who showed the casino’s closed circuit TV cameras. They said the fire sprinklers were working during the blaze set off by Carlos. All the 37 fatalities in the siege died from smoke inhalation caused by the fire when gaming tables were doused with gasoline by the gunman.
Video footage shown by RWM management turned out to be a public relations nightmare. The gunman who rode a taxi to the casino was shown on CCTV brushing aside two unarmed women security guards who tried to stop his entry. But the worst part of the video presentation showed a security guard running away instead of confronting Carlos. The guard who was armed with a sub-machine gun had the element of surprise as Carlos was opening a corridor door. The guard could have taken down the gunman right then and there but he chose to run for his life. This scene brought laughter in the House hearing.
Majority Floor Leader Rudy Fariñas with his pointed and probing questions cast serious doubts on Gomez’s qualifications to head RWM’s security and safety measures. Gomez’s background showed he was more a management man than a security expert.
Andrea Domingo, head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., was also taken to task during the House hearing. She was reproached for not suspending Resorts World’s gambling operations when serious breaches of security were reported to Pagcor. Domingo said PAGCOR had to verify the report and observe due process. The security lapse was reported to RWM management to beef up security days before the attack. Andrea claimed RSW ignored Pagcor’s order to strengthen its security at entrances.
The House committee is considering taking over from Pagcor the granting of franchise and the regulation of casinos. The government, through Pagcor, receives millions of pesos annually as its shares in casino revenues. The fund is used by the government for social amelioration expenditures particularly during typhoons and other natural calamities.
Meanwhile, government troops discovered millions in bundled bills during a raid on a house abandoned in Marawi by the Mautes. President Rodrigo Duterte said the huge amount of money held by the Mautes proved the link between drug traffickers and terrorists.
Funding and support of terrorist activity was what prompted Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt to break diplomatic relations with Qatar. The allegation was denied by Qatar.
There are thousands of Filipinos working in Qatar and their livelihood is now threatened by the diplomatic crisis facing the Gulf State. Food and other essentials are imported by Qatar from Saudi Arabia and nearby states. With the uncertainty in Qatar, the Philippine Department of Labor has suspended the deployment of Filipino workers there.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello clarified that the ban would only apply to new workers but not to Filipinos returning to work after a brief vacation to visit their families in the Philippines. DoLE said it would lift the ban once the situation in Qatar improves. Air links between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states were also suspended, practically cutting off Doha from other world capitals.