Widow of Resorts World guest hid in food freezer to escape attacker

The widow of one of the guests killed in the Resorts World Manila incident recalled on Sunday that she had to climb the casino's ceiling and hide inside a food freezer to stay alive.

Azenith Briones-Reyes said she would have also died if not for the help of casino staff who had the presence of mind to assist her.

"Sabay-sabay kaming umakyat doon sa ceiling tinulungan ako, lahat kami doon nagtatago baka mamaya, tapos sunud-sunod yung putok ng baril," Reyes said.

"Sabi ko nakakatakot baka tayo tamaan dahil hindi namin alam kung second floor pa rin yun, and then baba uli kami doon sa may freezer," Reyes said.

"Akala ko nga vault pero puro pagkain ang laman so pumasok kami doon para 'di mapapasok ng usok. Naghanap lang kami ng malamig na tubig na may yelo, ang instruction ng mga chef buhusan ang mukha," she added.

Reyes' husband, Eleuterio Reyes II, was among the 38 people who died during the attack due to suffocation.

Resorts World attacker, who had been identified by the police as Jessie Carlos, torched gaming tables at the casino's gaming area early Friday.

Carlos then shot himself in the mouth after setting himself on fire.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday night went to the wake of Eleuterio at a funeral home in Pasay City.

Reyes said Duterte, who told her that there may be security lapses committed by Resorts World, assured justice for all victims.

"Sabi naman niya is sinisigurado niya na bibigyan niya ng justice ang mga namatay. Kasi ang tingin niya din doon may malaking lapses ang Resorts World. Nagtataka naman ako kung bakit mula madaling araw hanggang kahapon late na in the afternoon na namin nalaman na may narecover na bodies," she said.

Duterte also visited the wake of Taiwanese victims.

Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy said the group plans to cremate the remains of the victims and bring them back to Taiwan.

"They would like na makabalik tomorrow, I mean on Monday, they are planning to have the bodies cremated. So yung mga papers we are working on that with the local government," Cuy said. —report from Bam Alegre/Joseph Tristan Roxas/ALG, GMA News