ISIS not behind Resorts World incident: AFP

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said. (PCOO photo)

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has dismissed claims made by the international terror group ISIS that it was behind Friday’s attack in Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, where at least 38 people, including the lone gunman, died.

AFP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, said Saturday claims made by the terror group do not match the known facts of the incident.

“The pronouncements of this group do not corroborate the facts on the ground. As it is, the RW (Resorts World) incident has the signature of a criminal act that needs deeper investigation to ascertain the real motive behind (it),” he added.

According to news reports, ISIS claimed its fighters carried out the attack in a statement released by its Amaq News Agency on Friday.

Padilla noted that the incident does not have the slightest signature of terrorism.

“As in previous incidents, this group is prone to claim and admit every criminal incident and label it as its own, clearly indicative of its pure penchant for propaganda,” he said.

Early Friday, an unidentified man, armed with an M-4 rifle, barged into the luxury casino hotel, shooting indiscriminately and causing panic among hotel guests. He also set fire to gaming tables and stole PHP113 million worth of casino chips, which were later recovered. Authorities later found the gunman burned beyond recognition in a fifth floor hotel room.

The police has said at least 37 hotel guests and employees died of suffocation due to the fire while at least 78 were injured and brought to various hospitals.

Padilla has earlier called on the public “to remain calm, be responsible social media users and not to spread alarmist messages that actually hamper the security of Manila, that may generate overreaction on the part of the public, that may unduly incite the public to overreact”.