Resorts World Manila attacker identified as Jessie Javier Carlos
After two days, the Philippine National Police (PNP) was finally able to identify the man responsible for the attack in Resorts World Manila that killed 37 people.
Speaking during a news conference, PNP National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde said that the attack was perpetrated by a 42-year-old man named Jessie Javier Carlos.
Carlos is a former tax specialist for the One Stop Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center of the Department of Finance (DOF). He was dismissed from his position in 2014 by the Office of the Ombudsman after losing a case filed by the DOF’s anti-corruption arm Revenue Integrity Protection Service or RIPS.
He was found guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty after it was revealed that he repeatedly made underdeclarations in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) that he submitted for several years.
According to a press release from the RIPS at the time, Carlos was fired for “not declaring his house and lot in Manila in his 2003 to 2006 SALNs, his Toyota Innova SUV in his 2007 SALN, and his business interests in his 2010 SALN.” RIPS also noted that Carlos purchased two (2) farm lots in Tanauan City, Batangas for P4 million in 2010 even if his total income from 2001 to 2011 only grossed P2.46 million.
Albayalde also noted that Carlos is deeply in debt, mentioning that he has outstanding loans and unsettled credit card bills with different banks. “With respect to respondent’s liabilities, noticeable is that his credit card liabilities in the amounts of P600,000.00 and P4,000,000.00 respectively, remained dormant for several years with the latter loan increased to P5,000,000.00 in 2010,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in its decision terminating Carlos from government service.
Despite of his financial woes, Carlos maintained his reputation of being a big-time gambler. “Highroller siya, his minimum bet is usually P40,000 kaya siya nalulong nang nalulong sa sugal,” Albayalde said during the press conference.
This revelation will most likely douse water on persistent speculations that the attack on Resorts World Manila was organized by individuals affiliated with the terrorist group Islamic State. It is very convenient for certain groups and individuals to take responsibility for committing crimes they don’t actually have anything to do with.
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