Autopsy belies claim Resorts World attacker was shot by casino security –PNP

The police on Thursday belied the claim of Resorts World Manila's management that Jessie Carlos, the gunman who attacked the posh casino hotel last week, was shot and wounded by one of their security officers.

Chief Supt. Aurelio Trampe, chief of the Philippine National Police's Crime Laboratory, said based on the autopsy report, Carlos' lone gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

"According to the report of Dr. [Voltaire] Nulud, isa lang ang nakita dito and nag-exit sa ulo. Walang nakitang other gunshot wound na tinamaan siya," he told reporters at a press conference, adding they did not find any slug on Carlos’ body as the bullet went "through and through."

Nulud, of Southern Police District Crime Laboratory, was the one who conducted the autopsy on Carlos.

"'Yung sa face [ay] self-inflicted, 'yun din ang cause of death niya (Carlos). He (Nulud) is sure na walang ibang wound," Trampe said.

Resorts World Manila chief operating officer Stephen Reilly said last week that their security officer was able to shoot and wound Carlos, who stormed the establishment on the wee hours of Friday and set fire to the casino. 

"Testimonies of responding members of Resorts World Manila security team confirmed that we were able to shoot and wound the gunman that attacked Resorts World Manila in the early hours of June 2nd, 2017," he said.

He added that "severe loss of blood from the gunshot wound significantly slowed down the assailant and resulted in his holing up in a room where he took his own life."

Trampe said the wound or blood seen on Carlos in the CCTV footage could be from other causes. "Not necessarily caused by a gun 'yung injuries na 'yan," he said.

The police official also denied that Carlos poured gasoline on himself before setting himself on fire. "Hindi dahil hindi sunog ang buong katawan," he said.

He added some parts of Carlos' body, including his stomach and some parts of legs, were not totally burned.

The Crime Lab chief said the DNA test conducted on Carlos' body showed 99.99 percent "probability of parentage."

"The DNA profile obtained from the muscle tissue taken from the unidentified male cadaver is consistent with having come from an offspring of Fernando P Carlos and Teodora J. Carlos,” he said, reading the conclusion of the DNA laboratory report.

He said the samples from the parents were taken through swabs inside their cheek.

Trampe said the 36 other victims found inside the casino hotel all died due to "asphyxia by suffocation."

Dr. Jane Monzon, medico legal officer IV and part of the PNP CL disaster victim identification, said the throat of the victims were blackened due to the soot they inhaled.

"When we opened the trachea it was full of soot, consistent na talagang suffocation [ang cause of death]. Maitim talaga. Nawalan siya ng hangin because of that air na mostly carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and the rest of irrespirable na gases," she said.

She said the some of the victims suffered lacerations on the forehead while others had abrasions.

"Meron ding first-degree and second-degree burns," she said, adding these were not the cause of death.

The 37th victim, who was a guest at a nearby condominium, died due to "acute myocardial infarction."

Of the victims, 22 were female and 14 were male. —KBK, GMA News