Police In Philippines Say Casino Attacker Was Indebted Former Government Worker
Police in the Philippines say the man behind the fire attack on a casino that killed 37 people was a heavily indebted gambler who had been fired from his government finance-department job.
The police in their statement on June 4 stressed that the incident was not terror-related. The Islamic State (IS) militant group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
"This is not an act of terrorism, but this incident is confined to the act of one man alone as we have always said," Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Manila police force, said.
He identified the suspect as Jessie Carlos, 42, a father of three who had been fired from the Department of Finance for nondisclosure of assets and liabilities.
The suspect entered the Resorts World Manila complex on June 2 and set fire to gaming tables, setting off smoke that killed casino guests and workers. He fled with stolen casino chips before forcing his way into a nearby hotel, where he killed himself.
