15 hours after attack, police yet to identify gunman

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:59 p.m.) — Cops from Manila's Southern Police District on Friday have not yet identified the suspect who attacked a casino complex in Pasay City, more than 15 hours after the incident erupted as they emphasized that this was a case of robbery and not a terrorist act.

Chief Superintendent Tomas Apolinario Jr., the SPD chief, told reporters at a news conference that they had so far one "person of interest" whom the police were investigating in relation to the attack on Resorts World Manila near the capital’s international airport.

Apolinario said the police went to the house of this individual and invited him for investigation. The SPD chief that the person denied that he knew the suspect although he admitted that he was in the casino during the incident.

"We went to the house of the person of interest. In fact, sumama nga sa amin dito. Well inamin niya na nandito siya pero sinabi niya hindi niya kilala yung namatay. So titingnan mo yung semblance may pagkasemblance nga dun sa namatay siya noh," Apolinario said.

It was not immediately clear, however, if police were investigating the person because of his possible link to the attack or simply because he could provide information on the deceased suspect.

Apolinario said that even if they found a registration document in the car the suspect allegedly used, they were still in the process of establishing the identity of the attacker.

"We still don’t have the name. That doesn’t mean that the suspect is the one in the OR/CR. We are not sure yet if the car really belonged to the suspect," he said.

The police said that it was difficult to identify the attacker because his body was found charred in one of the rooms of the hotel.

"First is we try to identify pa kung sino talaga 'yung identity niya. Mahirap rin kasi nasunog," he said.

Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun, meanwhile, said on Twitter that it requires scientific tests rather than visual recognition methods to identify the assailant.

During the wee hours of Friday morning, a lone gunman barged into Resorts World Manila, fired shots and set gambling tables ablaze. Based on police report, at least 36 people died suffocating in smoke. 

Police said that the gunman apparently killed himself after he attacked the posh entertainment complex. Aside from the dead, 54 others were hurt as many of them tried to escape what was initially thought to be a terrorist attack. Some were even reported to have jumped from the second floor of the casino as they heard shots fired in the air.

"No, we don’t believe that," Apolinario said when asked if there was a terrorist attack or a prelude to one.

This image made from closed circuit television made available by the Philippine National Police on Friday, June 2, 2017, shows the gunman at the Resorts World Manila complex in Manila, Philippines. PNP via AP

He said that it could not be said that this was a terror incident simply because the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claimed it.

The attack wrapped the casino and entertainment complex in chaos and happened as Philippine security forces were struggling to battle Islamist militants holed up in Marawi City on the troubled island of Mindanao.