Police patrol outside a hotel at the Resorts World Manila complex, early Friday morning.
/AP
Malacañang on Saturday allayed the fears of the public on the possible declaration of martial law in Metro Manila following the fatal incident at the Resorts World Manila where 38 people, including the gunman, died.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the incident does not fall under the requirements of the Constitution for the declaration of martial law.
“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 in a statement.
He reiterated the incident was not a terrorist act but “a criminal act by an apparently emotionally disturbed individual.”
“The Philippine National Police (PNP) has conducted an initial investigation showing that 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,” he said.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Dir. Oscar Albayalde said on Friday they had not recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte that he declare martial law in the metropolis.
Albayalde said security officials monitored no terrorist threat in Metro Manila after the casino attack.
He said the government’s intelligence community was constantly monitoring terrorist groups in Metro Manila.
Despite saying that Metro Manila was currently free of terror threats, he said PNP was on full alert.
Meanwhile, Stephen Reilly, Resort World’s Chief Operating Officer, says the company is giving P1 million to each of the families of those who died in a deadly casino attack in Manila that left at least 38 people dead.
He said Saturday: “Yesterday we lost so many lives because of this senseless act. We hope that we will be able to somehow help.”
A gunman entered the Resorts World Manila complex early Friday and set fire to the gambling tables, unleashing smoke that killed patrons and casino employees. He fled with $2 million in stolen casino chips, then forced his way into a room in an adjoining hotel and killed himself.