Tuesday, August 07, 2007 Opposition claims council pushing casino anew By Lizanilla J. Amarga
FORMAL moves to actually put up a casino here in the city are gaining ground at the City Council, an opposition councilor said Monday.
This came with reports that Korean-owned and operated Koresco Hotel has already formally applied for a permit at the Philippine Amusement and Games Corp. (Pagcor) for the establishment of a casino as early as last year.
Koresco's permit is reportedly gaining favor at the "high places" and should the hotel just take "appropriate but necessary steps," its requests would be approved before this year ends.
Vice Mayor Vicente Emano raised the casino proposal to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her recent visit to the city for the Mindanao peace and order summit last month.
Emano said the President told him that she supports it provided it has approval from the Catholic archdiocese.
But the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro led by Archdiocese Antonio Ledesma and Monsignor Rey Monsanto together with a number of socio-civic groups remain adamant in their stand to bar the putting up of a casino in the city.
Meanwhile, opposition-aligned City Councilor Teodulfo "Bong" Lao said City Hall's Committee on Games and Amusement headed by City Councilor President Elipe has already included the casino proposal as one of the items in their agenda.
"I-tackle na sa committee pagbutang ug casino dinhi sa atong syudad (The committee will soon tackle the matter of putting up a casino here in the city)," he told reporters after their regular session Monday.
Lao nevertheless said he could not as yet be sure of the date when the matter will be tackled.
Permit
However, Elipe told Sun.Star that there is no truth to Lao's words.
He said his committee is not into the casino agenda in anyway so far. "What casino? When and where man?" his text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro reads.
City Mayor Constantino Jaraula and Vice-Mayor Vicente Emano are one in their move to put a casino in the city.
Koresco Hotel has long been asking for a permit to finally allow them to put up a casino in their establishment.
The hotel through its top personnel has earlier Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that they have already applied for a permit.
Grounds
But so far, Koresco's request fell on deaf ears while Emano has been cautious over the issue.
Over the weekend, a top Malacañang official formerly connected with Pagcor said it won't be long when Koresco's request will be finally granted.
He pointed out that the petition for a casino permit is "not unreasonable" and "within the bounds of law" considering the decision of the Supreme Court in Magtajas vs. Pryce Plaza.
"In fact, I am convinced that the failure to act on Koresco's request for almost two years now can be grounds against Pagcor. What reason does Pagcor has not to act on Koresco's request for a permit?" he said.
"Hindi lang siguro alam ng Koresco ano ang dapat nilang gawin kasi naging political na eto...pero mayrong namang maraming mga paraan (Koresco just might not know what to they should do on the matter as this has turned political... still there are many ways to go about this)," added the official.
Should Koresco take the appropriate but necessary steps, the source said, the probability of its casino request being approved before the year ends is high.
During the administration of former mayor Pablo Magtajas, there was an attempt to put up a casino by Pagcor at Pryce Plaza Hotel.
Voided
Pagcor in 1992 decided to expand its operations to this city and leased a portion of a building belonging to Pryce Properties Corporation, Inc., renovated and equipped the same as a casino establishment.
It was prepared to inaugurate its casino during the Christmas season.
But on December 7, 1992, the City Council then enacted Ordinance No. 3353 or "An Ordinance Prohibiting the Issuance of Business Permit and Canceling Existing Business Permit to Any Establishment for Using and Allowing to be Used its Premises or Portion thereof for the Operation of Casino."
On January 4, 1993, it adopted a sterner Ordinance No. 3375-93 or "An Ordinance Prohibiting the Operation of Casino and Providing Penalty for Violation."
Also, civic organizations angrily denounced the project.
The religious elements echoed the objection and so did the women's groups and the youth among others led by no less than Magtajas and the City Council themselves.
Because of this, legal charges were traded against concerned parties reaching the Supreme Court who ruled in favor of Pryce Plaza and Pagcor declared the then City Council's anti-casino ordinance as null and void.
The High Tribunal held that the "power of Pagcor to centralize and regulate all games of chance, including casinos on land and sea within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines, remains unimpaired."
