The aftermath of a terrible tragedy

It seemed like a late Thursday night like any other in Manila last week. Some people were home settled in bed, some were out with friends, and some were working just to name a few. I don’t think anyone expected that in just a few short hours tragedy would strike.

We didn’t hear about it until early the next morning and by that time it was still a mess of information and unverified reports. All we knew was that early Friday morning – after midnight – a gunman entered Resorts World Manila (RWM) and shot up the casino and entertainment complex while setting several fires along the way.

It was full on panic for the thousands of people who were either working at Resorts World or guests of the hotel and casino. Indeed at any given time Resorts World Manila is always full and bustling and even in the wee hours of the morning there were thousands of people present when the gunman attacked making evacuation and rescue a very tough and arduous process.

During the time it was happening, news and media outlets did their best to cover the events live and as accurately as possible. But of course they were hardly a match for the hundreds of mobile phone users who were also quickly uploading and sharing their own version of the events on their social media platforms. And while it was good that information was being shared it was also the nature of this information, or rather misinformation, that was misleading and troublesome.

We live in a world where it seems that news has become a battle of who delivered it first as opposed to who delivered it best. Back in the day, journalism was a very strict business and if you reported false news it was a serious matter. Today, you can upload news to a website and a few hours later “update” that website to correct the news uploaded earlier that turned out to be wrong. The problem is that news may have already reached hundreds or even thousands with the way social media works. It’s irresponsible and can cause mass panic over something that has yet to be verified.

Unfortunately it’s hard to blame people and even media outlets for doing this. We want responsible journalism yet we want it in the blink of an eye. It’s almost a no win situation. When reports of the gunman attack at Resorts World first broke people rushed to media outlets looking for news and lambasted them for not having it yet – but then when the outlets began uploading news (in the limited capacity they could get while the crisis was ongoing) they were lambasted again for sharing news which turned out to be wrong. In this day and age it seems like it’s a damned if you and damned if you don’t.

What was especially scary about the RWM attack is that the first and immediate thought of everyone was that it was ISIS or other similar terrorist groups. This news spread panic quickly and before you know it there was a tidal wave of fear that martial law would be declared in Manila and that we would soon be reliving the ’80s all over again. The fear is understandable, especially for those who lived through it before. And if it had turned out to be terrorists at RWM it would not be far-fetched for President Duterte to consider extending martial law to Luzon. As is, at the moment, he is in the position of having to keep it in place in Mindanao while they do their best to get the tragic terrorist threat in Marawi under control.

However, despite the fear that spread through Manila early Friday morning, it turns out that the attack on RWM was not a terrorist threat (though ISIS did their best to claim it), but the work of a lone gunman whose motivation, as it turned out, was old fashioned greed mixed in with, what I can only surmise was insanity.

Once the smoke had cleared, literally, officials released the story they could piece together. A lone gunman arrived at RWM via taxi and took the elevator in the parking lot to enter the complex through the second story mall entrance. He brandished his weapon at the security personnel at the door who tried to stop him and quickly made his way to the casino and gaming areas where he began shooting at the ceiling and setting fire to casino tables. Officials and representatives of RWM have released the CCTV footage to show the gunman’s rampage through the casino.

He then stuffed over one million in casino high denomination chips into his backpack and tried to make a break for it. The motive was robbery as the gunman seemed to look for cash first but finding none opted instead for casino chips instead. It’s sad because it seems as if he didn’t set out to hurt anybody because he didn’t shoot at people but instead fired shots to scare people out of the vicinity. Unfortunately his horrendous actions still led to countless injuries sustained in the panic and the very tragic death of 36 innocent individuals who were trapped in the complex and died of smoke inhalation and choking.

It is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions and my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones. I can’t even begin to imagine what they are going through. It’s agonizing that the actions of one madman can result in tragedy for so many. It hits especially close to home for us too because our family loves Resorts World Manila. We are regulars of the entertainment hubs, the mall and restaurants, and the theatre and it saddens me greatly that this has happened to a place so close to our hearts.

In the end, I believe that everyone did the very best that they could in an impossible situation. It’s going to be a long road of seeing what safety and security improvements can be made but I believe that RWM did and is still doing the best that they can. They successfully evacuated over 12,000 people. That’s no small feat. And they have offered assistance to the families of those who were lost in terms of funeral and burial and even monetary assistance understanding that no amount can replace what they lost but in the hopes that it can help even a little in this time of great distress. I know that they are doing everything they can in the wake of this tragedy.

In the end, I think we all have to do our part and remain vigilant. We live in scary times and it’s not about Resorts World in particular because tragedy can strike anywhere and we need to be prepared – or at least as prepared as we can possibly be. As much as I would love to live in a world that is peaceful and safe, the truth is these aren’t safe times and we have to be proactive. I grieve for those who were lost and who are suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy and I pray that this never happens again.