Chairman and CEO of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), Andrea Domingo, has accused the operators of Resorts World Manila (RWM) of failing to employ sufficient security staff at the casino’s entrance at the time Jessie Carlos launched his deadly attack last Friday.
Speaking at a House of Representatives inquiry into the tragic incident, which saw 37 people lose their lives, Ms Domingo said RWM hadn’t implemented sufficient security as per the requirement of its license, according to the Philippines Inquirer.
“From our assessment, there was really lack of security at the entrance and parking lots of Resorts World Manila, because there’s hardly any presence in the area of adequate and competent and properly equipped personnel,” Domingo said.
“Even inside the elevator, this person is already putting on his mask, already putting on his bonnet. And they were able to monitor that. I think there are no ifs and buts about it. The hotel’s security is really lacking.”
RWM Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly admitted the property was guilty of serious lapses at the time, adding, “I say there’s lapses in security. When we played the first videos, I pointed out there should have been security personnel posted on certain points and they were not present. We admit openly there were some lapses in security.”
However, RWM President Kingson Sian disagreed with the assessment, pointing to the fact that 12,100 guests had been evacuated successfully as evidence that personnel had reacted reasonably.
He also said that heat and smoke from Carlos setting fire to gaming tables had caused CCTV cameras to fail, making it difficult to identify where victims were located. Many of those who passed away died from suffocation and smoke inhalation while hiding from the gunman.
“We did not see the locations of most of the deceased,” Sian said. “We’re not able to see their locations because of the fumes that clouded the view. Within a certain period of time, the cameras are already failing. When they walked in the gaming salon, there was no body there. They hid in a very small pantry, apparently.”
The inquiry also revealed that Carlos had gained access to RWM by overpowering a lone female security guard, whose presence at the entrance fulfilled the contract of service as supplied to RWM’s security agency, NC Lanting Security Specialist Agency.
