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Sunday, September 14, 2003
Oro officials broach casino opening anew
By Yuri Locsin
CITY Hall is at it again.
Nearly two years after they broached the idea of a casino in Cagayan de Oro, local officials raised anew the benefits of establishing a facility.
Mayor Vicente Emano said in a television interview that casinos aren't intended for local residents but are meant for tourists and investors coming in the city.
The City Government recently announced that several batches of South Koreans will arrive in Cagayan de Oro to play golf and otherwise discuss business ventures in the city.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro tried but failed to contact Archdiocese spokesman Msgr. Rey Monsanto for the church's side on the issue.
The local Archdiocese together with cause-oriented groups and the administration of former Mayor Pablo Magtajas had strongly opposed the establishment of a casino in Cagayan de Oro.
However Emano, a staunch supporter of the casino, said it would bring more benefits to the city. He also said the casino would open in the evening for tourists.
"We must be open minded, we are not proposing something that can bring chaos to the city. Maybe it won't be built in my time but eventually it will be built because the city is growing," he said.
And in interviews at Bombo Radyo Councilors Michelle Tagarda, Maryanne Enteria and Jose Benjamin Benaldo echoed the mayor's sentiments.
Tagarda said the casino earnings would be valuable revenue for the city government.
Tagarda, who chairs the Regulatory Complaint Board (RCB), said contrary to perception casinos won't cause a spread of immorality because it won't be open to all city residents.
"Morality depends on society and its residents, it is impossible that having a casino will cause (immorality)," she said.
Tagarda said in fact all gambling activities are immoral and yet some of them like cockfighting are legalized. "If that's the case we should stop all legal gambling in the city," she added.
The councilor explained that it is the people who gamble in casinos that are ultimately responsible for themselves.
Meanwhile Councilor Enteria also dismissed claims that the casino won't cause a rise in criminality saying these are mere opinions that have yet to be proven.
Enteria, who served as lawyer for the Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), said the South Koreans had asked the mayor whether there is a casino here because it would enhance the city's nightlife.
For his part, Benaldo said having a casino would only reaffirms Cagayan de Oro's status as a booming city.
He also asked why the city won't have a casino when other cities in the world have one.
"Casinos won't just give extra profits to the city, it will also help build infrastructure projects around the province, particularly bridges, buildings and classrooms," he said.
Benaldo, chairman of the City Council committee on commerce and industry, said the casino would bring about a multiplier effect on the local economy.
"The city will not benefit from it alone, it will create more jobs, it will inject more money to every establishment in the city," he added.
Benaldo also said casinos won't result in corruption among politicians because there is a law prohibiting them from entering the establishment.
He cited the case of former Vice President Joseph Estrada to illustrate his point. Nowadays he said politicians can only escort a friend or a tourist but are not allowed to gamble.
(September 12, 2003 issue)
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