Manila: Ariel Abrogar 52, decided to play casino to kill time — a doting father, he always waited for his chef daughter Aya who works in Resorts World Ginzadon. In a wink, he was one of 37 who died by asphyxiation when a still unidentified arsonist and suspected robber torched several casino tables in Metro Manila’s Pasay City early Friday.
“Ariel is gone. We’re in grief, shocked beyond words,” his aunt Nelle Abrograr told Gulf News. He was one of the fatalities luckily identified at 12 noon. Members of the big Abrogar clan (nine siblings) trooped to Resorts World at two in the morning. Personnel of Manila Memorial would bring his body for a wake that would start late Saturday at the earliest.
Meanwhile, a long line of people, including representatives of foreign embassies, trooped to 10 funeral homes in Pasay City in search of dead relatives.
One Asian looking man in blue plaid shirt was identified by his best friend at the Veronica Funeral Homes late Friday. He must be a South Korean national because of the presence of a South Korean consul at the funeral homes, a source said.
A small group quietly scrutinised a charred body whose face, arms, and legs were burned. His light coloured pants could be a clue. He was topless.
Some relatives were disappointed that the morgue of Rizal Funeral Homes remained empty until late Friday.
Gil Yongco, father of slain Hazel Ann Yongco, Resorts World supervisor, cried out to ABS CBN (TV Network), “I’ve been here since 8 am, but I haven’t seen the body of my daughter.”
“I was told my husband died, but I still have to see his body,” a wife wailed.
Maricel Navarro, Resorts World employee blamed members of the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team for not heeding her advise - to open the door of one room where people were trapped. “My friends and colleagues were there inside,” she cried.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Lab officer Dr. Voltaire Nulud said that family members should give consent to allow authorities to examine the bodies and finalise the death certificates of the victims.
The casino management was severely criticized because releasing the names of the victims was delayed pending the findings of the PNP Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).
When asked to explain the slow process that made relatives feel more helpless, a Resorts World personnel told Gulf News a ‘protocol is being observed” in transporting bodies from the ill-fated casino to funeral homes.
Philippine authorities alternately took time to say the incident was not a terror attack of Daesh.
Site Intelligence Group, which monitors Daesh activities said, “The Filipino Islamic State (Daesh) operative who earlier claimed that the group is responsible for the attack at Resorts World Manila in Pasay, Philippines, identified the alleged attacker and noted that his main objective was to burn the casino inside,”
But the “emotionally disturbed” perpetrator did not carry out a terror attack, there were no indications that he wanted to harm or shoot anyone, argued Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella.
Explaining the IS-hysteria, Armed Forces spokesman Restituto Padilla said,
“Generally, a lot of quarters overreact to what happened at the Resorts World — following the hostilities that occurred and the declaration of martial law in Marawi City [southern Philippines] since May 23.”
Resorts’ still unknown assailant acted alone. “He had no companion. He had 113 million pesos (Dh9.44 million) worth of chips with him. He was mentally disturbed. If he was a terrorist, he [should be] bringing with him tons of bombs, shooting at everybody and detonating himself?” said National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Oscar Albayalde.
Witnesses told reporters the unknown arsonist looked Caucasian, and with a companion.Thirty-seven bodies, including the gunman who killed himself, were found by firemen at the second floor of the casino complex — where casino tables were burned. Fifty-four who were injured were brought to nearby hospitals.
