A Predecessor To The Resorts World Manila Attack: Mexico August 2011

"Kung ISIS siya, namaril na siya doon (If he was from ISIS, he would have shot the people there)," Dela Rosa also said, explaining that a terrorist would have carried out a suicide bombing to inflict maximum casualties.”-Rappler.com,  June 2, 2017

Because of the lack of evidence of the use of firearms to shoot people down and also because the assailant “stuffed his backpack with P113 million in stolen casino chips” (Inquirer June 3, 2017), the administration declared that the attack at the Resorts World Manila was a work of a “crazy man” who “did not want to kill” (Inquirer June 4). 

And because terrorism was ruled out in the Resorts World Manila attack which unfortunately and sadly claimed 38 lives, the administration allayed concerns that martial law would be imposed nationwide (GMAJune 3). 

Martial law (Proclamation 216) was imposed over Mindanao last May 23 supposedly in response to the outbreak of violence by a rogue ragtag group of ‘terrorists’ in Marawi City. The Marawi siege and mopping up operations reportedly continues (GMA June 3)

Earlier, the administration floated the idea of a nationwide martial law “if the threat of ISIS persists” and spread elsewhere outside Mindanao (Rappler, May 24)

So in spite of the claim by ISIS that the Resorts World Manila incident was their handiwork (Rappler June 2), it’s probably better to just accept the administration’s interpretation of the current events.

Today, the Inquirer posted RWM's in-house video of the assailant’s “methodological” actions which implied premeditation or a planned set of actions.

But let me share a little secret.

What happened to Resorts World Manila would hardly seem unparalleled.

Flashback in August 2011, a group of armed men barged into a casino in Mexico.  Similar to the Manila, instead of shooting people, the group set ablaze a segment of the casino. The unfortunate incident trapped and claimed 52 lives. But in contrast to Manila, the Mexican president declared that the killing was “perpetrated by "terrorists" motivated by greed” (CNN August 26, 2011)

And unlike current events where the risks of violent actions have been targeted at religion based terrorism, the Mexican episode was blamed on drug cartels in reaction to the war on drugs implemented by the administration (CBS August 26, 2011)

Thanks to the gambling chips the scenario changed for Philippine politics - where events are all subject to the 'desired' official interpretation.

The reason why this should be kept a secret is that the alternative likely political option - nationwide martial law - would be harsh and drastic if this would be labeled as a 'terror event'. 

Ignorance is, thus, a bliss.