TH2203

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Case Study: Resorts World Manila Attack
Timeline of Resorts World Manila attack, according to official security report
By J. Bartolome, GMA News
Authorities on Saturday presented the official security report and CCTV camera footage of the Resorts World
Manila (RWM) attack that left 38 people dead.
• Internal investigation of the Resorts World Manila security showed that the still unidentified
attacker alighted from a taxi at 12:07 a.m. at the RWM's drop-off area.
• The man then used an elevator going up to the second floor with two (2) other women. He was
wearing plain clothes and carrying a backpack. He had no visible firearms.
• At the second floor parking area, the attacker put on a mask and vest and took out his rifle.
• Based on CCTV camera footage, the attacker walked casually and bypassed the metal detector at
the inspection area, entering the mall's second floor. A security person attempted to stop him, but
the attacker brandished his rifle and overpowered him.
• After firing a few warning shots, which prompted an evacuation and a call for police backup, the
gunman began torching tables, slot machines, and the carpet in different casino areas.
• The attacker was carrying a bottle of either kerosine or gasoline, police said. He then went straight
to the cages housing the chips, firing and kicking at the doors before stealing millions of pesos worth
of chips.
• At 1:10 A.M., the gunman was seen in a CCTV footage at the basement area where the first
exchange of fire occurred. He was wounded and retreated to the stairwell, where he dropped his
bag. Police said a member of RWM's security team shot and wounded the attacker.
• At 1:46 A.M., the assailant made his way to the 5th floor, where he forcibly entered a room. He went
out once to burn linen along the hallway.
• He re-entered the room, which he set on fire, and where he was later found with a fatal gunshot
wound in the mouth.
During the same press conference held on Saturday, Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde noted that
the gunman acted normally during the attack. "If you'll notice, he was just walking normally," he said.
He added that despite the seemingly familiar way the attacker navigated the casino, it was the attacker's
first visit there. "All he knows is the stairwell...alam niya where the money is stored," Albayalde said. "Hindi
siya frequent visitor. So far yung sinasabi nila it's his first time being there," he added.
The taxi driver who drove the gunman to Resorts World Manila didn't notice anything strange either,
Albayalde said. According to the taxi driver, he said that he spoke straight Tagalog. The driver also said the
attacker asked him to switch the cab's radio to a news program.

Reference:
Bartolome, J. (2017, June 3). Timeline of Resorts World Manila attack, according to official security report. GMA News.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/613163/timeline-of-resorts-world-manila-attack-according-to-
official-security-report/story/

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Resorts World Manila admits lapses in security

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Resorts World Manila admitted on Wednesday that there were lapses in security when a lone
gunman attacked their facilities, causing panic that eventually led to the death of 37 civilians.

In a House probe, Resorts World Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly said, upon reviewing CCTV
footage, some spots should have been manned by security personnel when the armed attacker came.
"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," he said.

Resorts World Manila President Kingson Sian, however, pointed out that the company was able to
execute emergency protocols, which led to the evacuation of thousands of guests during the attack. A
presentation by Sian before the lawmakers show that Resorts World has 13 fire exits on the 2nd floor,
nine (9) of which are in the gaming area. CCTV footage also showed sprinklers working after the
gunman set casino tables ablaze.

Asked what went wrong and why 37 civilians died despite Resorts World's efforts, Sian said fear played
a significant role as the gunman left a bag of bullets that burned and burst just outside the room where
the people suffocated to death.

"In fact, we showed you that naglagay ho ng bag ng bala dun sa table katabi ng kuwarto where a lot
of people perished to give the impression na marami hong gunman. Even while the gunman was away
from the area, pumuputok po 'yung bala," he said.

Sian said because of fear that there were still gunmen outside, the people did not leave the room even
if the area outside was already burning. The other thing that created fear during the attack, Sian said,
was the explosion of a BMW car on display on the 2nd floor.

"Because of the heat, this should be confirmed by the BFP [Bureau of Fire Protection], apparently,
parang sumabog yata 'yung tangke," he said, adding that the tires that melted during the fire
contributed to the toxicity of the fumes. The BFP, meanwhile, said they cannot yet confirm Sian's claim
as there has not been any fire safety inspection in that area so far.

Reference:
ABS-CBN News. (2017, June 7). Resorts World Manila admits lapses in security. ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-
cbn.com/video/news/06/07/17/resorts-world-manila-admits-lapses-in-security

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After reading both news reports relating to the Resorts World Manila attack, discuss the details of the case
within your group. Then, respond to the questions below:
1. Do you think the security team was able to respond appropriately to the incident?
a. What areas could be improved on by the security team?
b. What areas were commendable in the security team’s response?
2. Learning from this incident, what could be done to prevent or reduce losses in future emergencies
similar to this case?
3. You will be graded based on the following rubric:

Categories Performance Criteria Points

Content Provided pieces of evidence, supporting details, and factual scenarios. 15
Organization of
Expressed points in a clear and logical arrangement of ideas 5
Ideas
Total Points 20

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