MANILA (Reuters) A gunman who stormed and torched a Manila casino, killing 36 people, was a “lone wolf” terrorist, a top Philippines lawmaker said today, contradicting the police’s assertion that the man had merely wanted to steal gambling chips.
The gunman, whose identity was still unknown, killed himself in a hotel room after being shot by security officers at the Resorts World Manila entertainment complex, police said.
A second “person of interest” who was in the casino at the time is cooperating with the investigation, police said.
Pantaleon Alvarez, speaker of the lower house of Congress and a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, said he was not convinced the incident was a criminal case of armed robbery and arson.
“This is a clear example of a ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attack targeting civilians to inflict maximum loss of life and damage to property, as what has happened in other countries,” Alvarez said in a statement.
A second “person of interest” who was in the casino at the time is cooperating with the investigation, police said.
Pantaleon Alvarez, speaker of the lower house of Congress and a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, said he was not convinced the incident was a criminal case of armed robbery and arson.
“This is a clear example of a ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attack targeting civilians to inflict maximum loss of life and damage to property, as what has happened in other countries,” Alvarez said in a statement.
