The troubles of Resorts World Manila casino is far from over. A few days after a lone gunman attacked and torched the casino killing 37 people, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation suspended RWM’s license to operate.. The shutdown is costing Resort World billions of pesos in lost revenues since the June 2 attack.
Now the future for RWM looks even bleaker if the proposal of Rep. Lito Atienza to shut down the casino is passed by the House of Representatives.
Atienza supports the plan of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for Congress to take over from Pagcor the granting of license, franchise and regulation of the country’s gambling establishments.
Atienza cited Resorts World’s security lapses that let armed intruder Jessie Carlos brush aside unarmed security guards at the casino’s front entrance. Atienza said the main entrance should have been the first line of defense against a menacing intruder. Video footage from a close circuit television camera showed two female and unarmed security guards running away from Carlos who was in a black commando outfit with a long firearm. Another male security guard was also shown on CCTV camera scampering away from the gunman who was emerging from a door in the second floor.
Atienza, the former Manila mayor and one-time Environment secretary, was one of the first to seek a House hearing on RWM’s security lapses.
“Can you imagine how many more lives would have been lost if it was a real ISIS terrorist attack? Three suicide bombers working in concert could have tripled the 37 number of casualties,” said Atienza. The gunman who merely fired shots at the ceiling did not shoot at random in his deadly rampage. But 37 people died from smoke inhalation when he set fire to several gaming tables on the second floor. He then took his own life in Room 510 in the casino’s hotel.
The fire spread so quickly because the water sprinklers were not working. If they were, they would automatically turn on; the blaze and the suffocating smoke would have been doused outright, claimed Atienza.
Atienza said he wants a total shutdown order instead of a mere suspension of license by Pagcor. This would serve as a lesson and a warning for other gaming establishments to tighten their security for the safety of the 24/7 crowd that frequents casinos.
Control and regulation of casinos as suggested by Speaker Alvarez is welcomed by Atienza. He said that the position of Pagcor chairman is co-terminus with that of whoever is the current president. Too often, this six-year term of the Pagcor chief has given rise to calls for a lifestyle check. Aside from the huge salary and other perks, the Pagcor boss is suspected of enriching himself while in office. While the Commission on Audit is supposed to check the revenue share of the government from casino earnings, there’s really no way of curbing abuses and suspicion of skimming gambling profits.
The attack on the Resorts World casino has proven that a bigger target can be pulled by terrorists. The IS, under siege in Iraq and Syria, needs a diversionary theater. What could be a bigger prize than an attack on a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines? Setting off explosives in shopping malls located in Makati’s central business district would have the impact to make international headlines.
We hope our military and Philippine National Police forces do not preoccupy themselves with liberating Marawi from the Maute/IS terrorists and leave Metro Manila vulnerable. The citizenry, too must do its part in exercising utmost vigilance as we are all dealing with a cunning and ruthless enemy.
