Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Council paves way for casino in Oro By Lizanilla J. Amarga
CASINO slot machines will soon be operating in a hotel here as the City Council of Cagayan de Oro Monday approved a resolution that will pave the way for permits from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to install gambling machines.
Committee on Games and Amusement chairman President Elipe defended his Proposed Resolution 2007-107 amending Resolution 7261-2005 that will change the representative’s name of the WLG Philippines, Inc. from "Chow Pooi Hoong" to "Mr. Samuel Tan,” before Pagcor will start its installation of the gaming machines.
"The Supreme Court has already amended in 2002 our ordinances regarding slot machines...there is no question to them as long as they are under the umbrella of the Pagcor," Elipe said during their regular City Council session.
WLG Philippines, Inc. operates the prestigious MallBerry Suites Business Hotel at Florentino Street beside Robinsons Mall Limketkai Center, this city.
Opposition City Councilor Roger Abaday said the operations of these slot machines may run in conflict with the anti-slot machine ordinances approved by the previous City Council stating that gambling paraphernalia should not be installed and operated within 200 meters from schools and churches.
"And if we conduct an ocular survey on the area where it will be put up, there is no possibility that it will not violate the 200 meter ordinance as there are churches, schools in the area," said Abaday.
Way out of range
Elipe said the 200 linear meters ordinance will be the establishment's concern.
"But the hotel (Mallberry) is way out of the range from the nearest school," he said.
Abaday insisted that putting up slot machines in the city should be further discussed as it "involves public interests" and might be "precedence" for other hotels to copy.
"If it can now put up one, then there will be no stopping the other hotels from putting up their own," he said. "This might result to a mushroom of gambling activities, which might be a source of criminalities later on."
Opposition City Councilor and former Lapasan Barangay chairman Teodulfo Lao echoed Abaday's fears that these slot machines should further be discussed by the City Council.
Matter of formality
He asked Elipe whether Chow Pooi Hoong and Samuel Tan were personally present during the committee hearing of the committee on games and amusement.
But Committee on Rules chairman Majority Floor Leader Lawyer Ramon Tabor and Games and Amusement committee former chairman City Councilor Reynaldo Advincula called for the ruling as "out of order” as the resolution authored by Elipe dwells only on the change of name of the representative of the WLG Philippines, Inc. and not on the "merits of the operation of slot machines."
"But our approval here is only a matter of formality...WLG Philippines, Inc. can proceed its operations when it will be granted permits by Pagcor to do so," he said.
