The lone gunman in the deadly Resorts World Manila incident that left 38 people dead, including the suspect, was a former government worker buried in debt, police said on Sunday.

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National Capital Region Police Office chief identified him as Jessie Javier Carlos, 42, a former employee of the Department of Finance stationed at the One Stop Shop.

The suspect was identified as a Filipino national contrary to reports that he could be a foreigner because of his looks.

Carlos was fired from his job for non-declaration/misdeclaration of his statements, assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

The suspect was a father of three children but was separated from his wife, Jen Carlos, due to a misunderstanding for his gambling habits. According to his immediate family, the suspect was buried in debt, and even sold his Ford Ranger due to his financial problems.

NCRPO Director Oscar Albayalde said Carlos had a bank account with an outstanding debt of P4 million, and several other non-bank related debt.

Authorities were able to speak to the suspect’s family early Sunday, confirming that the gunman was Carlos after a thorough review of the CCTV footage, photos and other pieces of evidence.

“In the interest of justice, members of his family are with us here today. They express their deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the victims and to the public in general,” Albayalde said.

Resorts World released the security footage of the incident on Saturday, backing the accounts of the witnesses.

The identification of the suspect only reveals that the incident was not a terrorist attack but a robbery case, according to Albayalde.

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“On this note, we also reiterate our prior statements that this is not an act of terrorism but this incident is confined to the act of one man alone as we have always said,” he said, reiterating that they won’t allow people or any threat group to use this situation to advance their propaganda.

The Islamic State earlier claimed responsibility for the incident./rga

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MOST READ</s>PRIME SUSPECT. NCRPO Director Oscar Albayalde holds a photo of suspect Jessie Carlos, the lone gunman in the June 2, 2017 Resorts World Manila attack, in a press conference at Remington Hotel, Pasay City on June 4, 2017. Photo by LeAnne Jazul/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – Police on Sunday, June 4, identified the suspect in the attack at Resorts World Manila as a former employee of the Department of Finance (DOF) who is "heavily in debt" due to casino gambling.

The lone gunman was identified as Jessie Carlos, 42 years old, said National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Oscar Albayalde in a press conference at the Remington Hotel – part of the Resorts World complex – on Sunday.

Carlos was previously assigned to the DOF's "One Stop Shop" office. He was discharged from his post for issues related to his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

His identity was confirmed early Sunday morning by his estranged wife and his parents, according to the NCRPO chief. His parents and wife were at the press conference.

'High roller'

Albayalde said Carlos, a resident of Sta Cruz, Manila, was "heavily in debt" due to casino gambling.

Carlos – identified as a "high roller" who usually placed a minimum bet of P40,000 – is said to have P4 million in debt with banks, plus an undisclosed amount of non-bank-related debts, due to his gambling problem.

He also sold his car and a family property in Batangas to finance his gambling addiction.

Just last April 3, Carlos, who was said to be a regular at other casinos but not at Resorts World, was barred from entering all casinos by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) upon request of next-of-kin, Albayalde said. (READ: FAST FACTS: What you need to know about Resorts World Manila)

A 2014 press release from the DOF's Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) identified a "Jessie Javier Carlos" as a Tax Specialist of the One Stop Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center.

The RIPS press release said the employee was dismissed from service by the Ombudsman "for failure to disclose truthfully all his assets" in his SALN.

Not mentally ill

GUNMAN'S KIN. NCRPO Director Oscar Albayalde presents the family of Jessie Carlos in a press conference at Remington Hotel, Pasay City on June 4, 2017. Photo by LeAnne Jazul/Rappler

Carlos' father Fernando confirmed his son was in financial trouble but that Carlos was not mentally ill. He also said they do not know where the gun used came from.

Albayalde again emphasized that the suspect acted alone, and that the incident is not terror-related.

"We also reiterate our prior statements that this is not an act of terrorism but this incident is confined to the act of one man alone as we have always said," he said.

"We have and will continue to base our pronouncements on facts and evidence properly gathered. We will not allow people or any threat group to use this situation to advance their propaganda or personal causes whether foreign or local," Albayalde added.

He added that this closes the terror angle in the probe of the incident. (WATCH: Rappler Talk: Raffy Alunan on Resorts World Manila attack and terrorism)

The Islamic State (ISIS) had earlier claimed responsibility for the Resorts World attack. President Rodrigo Duterte, however, said he doubts ISIS' claim. (READ: Terrorism and ISIS at Resorts World attack?)

Carlos' mother Teodora asked for forgiveness from the families of the victims of the attack, saying that their family is also a victim in the incident. (READ: From relief to despair: Brother of Resorts World victim recalls fretful wait)

The police also presented to the media the gasoline boy who sold to the suspect the 3 liters of gasoline used in burning parts of the hotel-casino, as well as the taxi driver who drove Carlos there.

The now-identified gunman stormed into the high-end casino complex in Pasay City past midnight last Friday, June 2, with an M4 automatic rifle and a bottle of gasoline, firing shots and setting gaming tables ablaze. (READ: Palace suspects negligence by Resorts World Manila)

The smoke from the fires caused 36 people to die and dozens more were injured in a stampede to escape. Carlos was found dead about 5 hours later in a hotel room after committing suicide by setting fire to himself, police said. (READ: Officials contradict each other on Resorts World Manila attack) – with a report from Agence France-Presse / Rappler.com</s>The lone gunman behind Friday's deadly attack on a casino in the Philippine capital has been identified as Jessie Carlos Javier, a 42-year old Filipino, police said.

MANILA: The lone gunman behind Friday's deadly attack on a casino in the Philippine capital has been identified as Jessie Carlos Javier, a 42-year old Filipino, police said.

"We have finally established the identity of the perpetrator," Oscar Albayalde, chief of the capital's police office, told a media briefing on Sunday.

"He is heavily indebted due to being hooked on casino gambling, according to his immediate family," Abayalde said, reiterating the attack was not a terrorist act.

The casino's CCTV showed the gunman firing shots at the ceiling and setting gaming tables ablaze. At least 36 people died.</s>MANILA, June 4 (Reuters) - The lone gunman behind Friday's deadly attack on a casino in the Philippine capital has been identified as Jessie Javier Carlos, a 42-year old Filipino, police said. "We have finally established the identity of the perpetrator," Oscar Albayalde, chief of the capital's police office, told a media briefing on Sunday. "He is heavily indebted due to being hooked on casino gambling, according to his immediate family," Albayalde said, reiterating the attack was not a terrorist act.

The casino's CCTV showed the gunman firing shots at the ceiling and setting gaming tables ablaze. At least 36 people died. (Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Kim Coghill)
The Philippine police identifies the lone gunman as Jessie Javier Carlos, a local citizen, who was a debt-riddled former employee of the Department of Finance.