Parents of gunman in Resorts World attack seek forgiveness

Teodora Carlos, the mother of gunman Jessie Javier Carlos. PHOTO: Screengrab from ABS-CBN News
Teodora Carlos, the mother of gunman Jessie Javier Carlos. PHOTO: Screengrab from ABS-CBN News

The mother of the gunman behind the incident in Resorts World Manila last Friday was in tears as she apologized to the victims of the attack that left 37 casino guests and employees dead.

Teodora Carlos, the mother of gunman Jessie Javier Carlos, said they were also in shock of what their son did because of his addiction to gambling.

The mother recalled her son as a good man who did not even have any vices until he got hooked on casinos. She is hoping the families of the victims of the attack would forgive their son for what happened.

Mabait po ang anak ko. Mabait po siya nalulong lang siya sa casino. Kami rin po di namin matanggap ang nangyari. Kaya po humihingi rin po kami ng tawad sa mga nadisgrasya ng anak ko,” she said in press conference by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

(He was a good son. He was good but he got addicted to the casino. We also can’t accept what happened. We are apologizing to those affected by the incident.)

Teodora also said she hopes parents who have children addicted to gambling would get a lesson from what happened to their first-born.

She said her son has not been visiting them since he got hooked on casinos, an addiction which also started his family problems.

Ang mensahe ko po sa mga magulang, kung maaari po sana awatin ninyo ang mga anak ninyo. Kami po, namimighati rin po, hindi namin matanggap,” she said.

(We ask other parents to stop their children [who are getting addicted to gambling]. We are still grieving, we can’t accept what happened.)

Ang mensahe po ng [sinapit] ng anak ko, pinakikita po sa mga tao na huwag magpakalulong sa bisyo para nang sa gayon, hindi masira ang kanilang pamilya,” she added.

(What happened to our son shows that we should not get addicted to our vices, so that families won’t be destroyed,)

Fernando Carlos, the father of the gunman, also sought forgiveness from those who were affected by the attack.

Sa mga namatayan po, nakikiramay po kami. Huminhingi po kami ng tawad sa ginawa ng anak ko. Hindi rin po namin gusto ang nangayri,” said the father who was also in tears.

(To those who lost a loved one, we extend our condolences. We are asking for forgiveness for what my son did. We didn’t want that to happen.)

Most of the victims in the attack died due to suffocation at the 2nd floor gaming area, which had been set on fire by the gunman.

Investigators said the Jessie Javier locked himself up in a room, where he set himself on fire before shooting himself in the head.

The gunman, confirmed National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Oscar Albayalde, was a former government employee who was deep in debt due to gambling.



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