Families await loved ones’ bodies after Resorts World Manila attack
A man and a policewoman offer candles and flowers for victims of an attack at the Resorts World Manila complex, Friday, June 2, 2017, in Manila, Philippines. Police say a gunman stormed a crowded Manila casino and used gasoline to set gambling tables on fire, creating clouds of smoke that swept through the crowds and killed dozens of people. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Family members are waiting outside a funeral home on Saturday for the bodies of their loved ones to be released following the Resorts World Manila incident, which claimed the lives of 38 people.
READ: 38 die in attack at Resorts World Manila
At the Rizal funeral home, where 18 bodies were brought, Myra Tengco has been waiting for her sister’s body to be released since Friday afternoon.
She says her sister, Arvi Gavino, was a casino employee with two children. Tengco says she cannot understand how a gunman managed to enter the casino.
The gunman, who wasn’t identified, entered the Resorts World Manila complex early Friday and set ablaze gambling tables, unleashing smoke that killed patrons and casino employees.
The gunman managed to divest P113 million in stolen casino chips, then forced his way into a room in an adjoining hotel and killed himself.
On Friday night, authorities have rejected the Islamic State group’s claim of responsibility for the casino attack.
Police say they believe it was a robbery gone wrong.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility, saying one of its supporters entered a “gathering of Christian fighters” in the casino and “carried out killing and hurting.”
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla rejected the claim, saying the attack “does not have the slightest signature of terrorism whatsoever.”
“As in previous incidents, this group is prone to claim and admit every criminal incident and label it as its own,” Padilla said.
Since Friday afternoon, relatives continue to rush to funeral homes to see the remains of their loved ones who died in the hotel and casino fire. JPV
