HOUSE majority floor leader Rodolfo Fariñas on Wednesday moved to compel the chairman of the board of Resorts World Manila to attend the next congressional inquiry into the luxury hotel's possible liability over the death of 37 people at the hands of a lone gunman.
During the second inquiry of three committees of the House of Representatives over the June 2 incident, Fariñas slammed the absence of the posh hotel casino’s top executive David Chua Ming Huat.
"I move that we issue a subpoena to this person. He might not choose to come here so it will be up to him. If he will not appear, what comes after that is a warrant of arrest," Fariñas said.
Chua was also not present during the House's first inquiry.
It was also revealed by Resorts World Manila president Kingson Sian that Chua currently lives in Hong Kong.
Chua is not a Filipino citizen, Sian added.
To the defense of the board’s chairman, Sian said that Chua had already condoled with the families of the victims when he was in Manila last week.
Resorts World Manila is currently under scrutiny after its security forces failed to prevent a lone gunman, identified eventually as ex-Department of Finance tax specialist Jessie Carlos, from firing shots and burning facilities.
The crime resulted to a fire that led to the suffocation and death of 37 victims.
Carlos' body was later retrieved at 6 a.m. of June 2, after apparently taking his own life. (SunStar Philippines)