TWO committees of the House of Representatives will jointly investigate on Wednesday the recent Resorts World Manila (RWM) incident, which killed 38 people, including alleged gunman Jessie Javier Carlos and injured scores of other casino and hotel guests.
PDP-Laban Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon City, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, said the House Committees on Games and Amusement and on Public Order and Safety will conduct a joint investigation on the incident at the Conference Hall of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
“We will determine the lapses in security of the officers manning the hotel and alleged failure of hotel smoke detectors and sprinkler systems to function and locked fire exits that contributed to the fatality count,” Castelo said.
PDP-Laban Rep. Gus S. Tambunting of Parañaque, chairman of the House Committee on Games and Amusement, said, “We will investigate. It’s mind-boggling how a man can bring in a long firearm and gasoline just like that. The public deserves to know what really happened.”
Among the fatalities in the said incident are the wife of PDP-Laban Rep. Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, Elizabeth Panlilio Mendoza; and Cliff Reynera, a consultant to PDP-Laban Rep. Federico Sandoval II of Malabon City.
Suspend
AT the same time, Party-list Rep. Jose L. Atienza Jr. of Buhay, a senior deputy minority leader, urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to immediately suspend the permit to operate of Resorts World Manila.
Atienza said the gaming company has failed to ensure the saftety of its customers, as well as its employees.
“Pagcor should immediately suspend Resorts World Manila’s permit to operate,” Atienza said.
According to Atienza, the local government of Pasay should also suspend the operation of the entire facility until authorities have complete the results of the investigation.
“[We need to know] whether the emergency fire sprinklers worked and activated when the fire broke out. Hindi puwedeng walang managot sa nangyaring ito,” Atienza said.
He said if it is true that this was indeed the act of a lone gunman and not a terrorist attack, then there was failure on the part of management to secure the lives of its guests entering the premises. “[They need to answer] first is how come not all the emergency water sprinklers were working when the fires broke out? These should automatically switch on in the event of a fire. Secondly, how could a heavily armed man have entered the premises, pointing his gun at everyone? How could he have entered the gate that had seemingly very strict security measures employed for civilians entering the casino?” Atienza asked.
For his part, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez insisted that the incident was “an act of terrorism”.
“Anybody [who] with premeditation harms and kills people indiscriminately is a terrorist. Whether or not the perpetrator is a member of a known terrorist organization or a lone wolf acting independently, he is a terrorist. This is happening all over the world,” he said.
“Our authorities should not lull our people into complacency by dismissing the incident as a common criminal act. Neither should they relax just because they refuse to label the incident as such,” he added.
2 comments
The bureau of fire protection has a lot to explain coz it is suppposed to implement and enforce the fire code. The fire code was amended in 2008 because of several fire incidents that caused the lives of many. The fire chief is the one exerxising direct supervision and control over the bureau.
Whoever is the bfp chief now should take reaponsibilty for the death of the 37 innocent hotel guests. He should be outrightly removed from office by the president. The bfp website says that its motto is to save lives and properties. The bfp chief miserably failed to perform its mandated task.