The Philippine National Police has ordered NC Lanting Security Specialist “to prohibit guard duties and… relieve its posted security guards at the entrance and exits of Maxims Hotel and Newport Mall of Resorts Manila until further notice.”

The order was issued by the PNP’s Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies last Friday.

“Lanting has no security plan to ensure compliance with prescribed security requirements of PNP, except its deployment plan in the form of Daily Shfting Order,” said the order, signed by Chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino.

NC Lanting’s performance was questioned after a man, carrying an M4 assault rifle, and kerosene, barged into the casino of Resorts World Manila virtually little resistance from security last June 2. He shot at the LED display, burned the baccarat tables and fired at the room containing gambling chips.

Panicky customers fled the area but 37 people died of suffocation as a result of the fire. The gunman, identified, later as Jessie Javier Carlos later committed suicide, police said.

“Only a lady security guard (LG Mary Grace Rivera Rayala) manned the post where the culprit entered as shown the CCTV footage from RWM ( Resorts World Manila) and through the admission of Lanting Management and security guard Edwin Parulan Ciriaco, who was also a lone roving guard of the 2 nd , 3 rd, 4 th floor of the Mall,” the PNP report said,

“As admitted by Lanting and indicated in the issued licenses to exercise security profession”, the lady guard posted at the mall entrance and other guards deployed in RWM (Resorts World Manila) were not trained in mall security that could have, in one way or the other, prevented the worsening of the situation,” the report said.

The report said one of the security guards of Lanting “when the unpleasant incident is taking place, lend his issued firearm to a member of the internal security of RWM (Resorts World Manila) who engaged the suspect in a shootout,” the report added. DMS