A TOP executive of Resorts World Manila insisted that its three monitoring rooms were never left vacant and unmanned during the time when a lone gunman stormed into its facilities, contrary to the claims of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“At no time where all monitoring rooms abandoned. We had eyes on the suspect at all time. Information was relayed to senior officers of responding government bodies,” Resorts World Manila Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly told lawmakers.
But Pasay City chief of Police Dionisio Bartolome, Jr. said that when they were inspecting rooms of the hotel, they “chanced upon” a CCTV room that was empty and has no operator.
The contention began after National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde said that officers were left “blinded” because the Resorts World officials led them to a secondary CCTV room “very late” as all were left abandoned by its employees.
“Bulag sila (police) in a way na hindi nila mapinpoint kung saan [ang suspect] because all the CCTV rooms were abandoned initially,” Albayalde said.
Denying the police’s claim, Reilly then showed a photo of its monitoring room with its operator along with officials of the police.
However, Albayalde refuted Reilly and said that the photo was taken only after they asked for assistance from Resorts World management.
The House committees on public order and safety, tourism, and games and amusement are conducting its second probe on the Resorts World’s potential liability over the death of 37 people when gunman Jessie Carlos fired shots and torched facilities that resulted to the fire and caused the death by suffocation of 37 guests and employees.
Despite its sophisticated surveillance system, the posh hotel casino failed to catch the perpetrator until his body was recovered at 6 a.m. of June 2, on an apparent suicide. (SunStar Philippines)