Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Saturday said he believes that the shooting incident in Resorts World Manila Friday was a terror attack even as the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident and even branded the lone gunman, which it identified as Abu al-Khayr al-Arkhabili, as a ‘martyr.’
“At this point, I disagree with the conclusion reached by law enforcement authorities that the Resorts World incident was not a terrorist act but rather a criminal case of armed robbery and arson,” Alvarez said.
“This is a clear example of a ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attack targeting civilians to inflict maximum loss of life and damage to property, as what has happened in other countries,” he added.
Alvarez refuted the statement of National Police chief Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa that the RW incident was an isolated case.
Rep. Gus Tambunting of Parañaque City agreed with Alvarez that the police should not dismiss outright that the incident has not something to do with terrorism.
“Truly, the incident was terrifying. Horrible as it is, we have to defer in the meantime to our law enforcement authorities in gathering evidence to ascertain the gunman’s true motive in the attack,” Tambunting, House committee on games and amusements’ chairperson, said.
The ISIS, meanwhile, released a statement through its own news agency that it was indeed responsible for the attack.
“With guidance from Allah and His granting of success, the brother Abu al-Khayr al-Arkhabili—may Allah accept him—was able to immerse with his machine gun amidst a gathering of Christian combatants in the resort “Resorts World” in the city of Manila in the Philippines,” the group’s self-styled Amaq news agency said in a communique.
“He took action inside it, inflicting death and causing harm, until he dismounted as a martyr, as we consider him and Allah is His advocate,” the terrorist organization said.
A Filipino ISIS operative, “Semion Almujaheed,” who has provided daily updates on the ongoing clashes in Marawi, said in an ISIS telegram channel that a group fighter, whom he identified with the nom de guerre “Abu Khair al Luzonee,” was behind the fatal arson incident that has killed at least 38 people.
“The police is covering up,” wrote “Semion Almujaheed” on pro-ISIS chat groups. “It’s not the soldiers of khilafah [caliphate] because they don’t want to be foolish in the media briefing earlier this morning [Friday, June 2].”
Almujaheed was the one who posted photos and video of Father Teresita Suganob, whom the group held hostage last Tuesday.
Despite the ISIS’ claim, Malacañang urged the public to be mindful against speculations about the incident, insisting that it was not act of terror.
It added that the ISIS’ claims that their “fighters” were the ones who launched the Resorts World Manila attack were untrue.
“All evidence at this point say it was an action of an emotionally disturbed person who was apparently engaged in a criminal action,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.
Abella also doused speculations that the deadly fire at the casino complex won’t be grounds to declare martial law in Metro Manila.
“The incident in the Resorts World Manila is thus an isolated case which does not constitute rebellion or invasion, which are the grounds for the declaration of martial law as prescribed by the Constitution and which the President is sworn to abide by and protect when he took his oath of office,” Abella said.
Abella said that based on the initial investigation of the PNP, the gunman did not shoot any civilian but only fired shots at LED televisions, burned gambling tables, and stole gambling chips worth P113 million, before he forcibly entered a hotel room where he burned and shot himself.
The Resorts World Manila on Saturday announced that it gave P1 million to the family of each victim killed during the attack early Friday.
“Nothing can replace the lives of loved ones. Yesterday we lost so many lives because of a senseless act,” Resorts World Manila chief operating officer Stephen Reilly said in a press conference.
Reilly said they are hoping that the financial assistance will somehow help families who lost loved ones during the attack go through “this most difficult time.”
A total of 38 people, including the gunman, died in the attack early Friday.
He said 37 people died on-the-spot and another victim was able to get out of the casino, but eventually died.
Six of the fatalities were foreigners and three are still being identified, including the suspect.
Abella said crime scene investigators recovered an M-16 rifle and caliber 380 gun from the suspect.
He also urged the public to avoid “speculations.”
“We join experts like Senator and former National Police chief [Panfilo] “Ping” Lacson in urging the police, the media, and the public to please avoid speculation,” he said, adding that such speculations feed the interest of terror groups.
“They may claim credit but according to our evidence it is not so,” Abella added, as he said that the Executive department will await findings of a formal investigation, including a full audit of casinos by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp..
Abella said that they are also probing the possible negligence on the part of Resorts World Manila which led to the incident.
“While tightening anti-terror measures, we share the Senate President’s concern of a possible negligence by Resorts World not only in casino security, but also in building design and safety protocols,” Abella said.
“On the security lapses of Resorts World Manila, let us allow authorities to finish the investigation, and we’ll begin to look into the security breach of Resorts World Manila. Once the investigation is completed, they will submit their findings and recommendations,” the presidential spokesman said.
AFP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, echoed Abella’s statement, saying that the claims made by the terror group do not match the known facts of the incident.
“The pronouncements of this group do not corroborate the facts on the ground. As it is, the RW [Resorts World] incident has the signature of a criminal act that needs deeper investigation to ascertain the real motive behind [it],” he added.
Padilla noted that the incident does not have the slightest signature of terrorism.
“As in previous incidents, this group is prone to claim and admit every criminal incident and label it as its own, clearly indicative of its pure penchant for propaganda,” he said.