Saturday, December 09, 2006 Ledesma: Casino under the cross By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
WHAT is this I heard that anytime now Apo View Hotel is going to be converted into a plush casino that would cater principally to Korean nationals? I do not mind them squandering their dollars in Davao but they should choose a gambling venue that is not proximate to houses of worship and schools.
Imagine church services being interrupted by the jingling of coins from slot machines or rowdy Koreans celebrating their jackpot prize or shouting expletives over their losses.
As a student, like my publisher Tony Ajero, I faked intellect and made sponsors believe that I am a good delegate to an international students' forum on "nationalism and international understanding", part of which was held in Korea for a duration of 30 days.
There were as many Korean counterparts as there were foreign delegates. I enjoyed their company but our Korean friends can really unleash their emotions in an unfettered fashion. I cannot imagine how they behave in gambling casinos.
Their culture is an exaggeration of ours. I read sometime ago about an incident where Mayor Duterte chastised a Korean for beating his own son for not being able to swing the golf putter right?
Acutally it's perfectly all right for them to manhandle their kids. In the Philippines you call that a crime, a violations of human rights. Out there it's a virtue. It's part of their rigid discipline to make the child's character perfect or a golf putt an ace each time.
What comes close to the rowdiness of Koreans in a gaming table is the shouting match between the administration and opposition congressmen in last Wednesday over the attempt of the former to force the issue of Con-Ass in the lower House. So imagine a celebration of the Holy Eucharist and a lesson in mathematics being interrupted by the din from the nearby casino.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should step in and browbeat her PAGCOR manager for farming out the casino franchise to Korean operators. True, Pagcor maybe has the authority to operate anywhere in the country but they should respect local laws and ordinances. True, they remit to the City Government P2.5-million monthly but this is not license or grease money to operate anywhere they wish.
Presently, there is a mini-casino operating in the north wing of Apo View Hotel. Just because the public has not made a stir should they interpret this to mean as a go signal for them to run large-scale casino operations.
I do not know what guarantees they have to isolate the nearby school and church establishments from the irreverence of the gamblers and other vulgarities of a full-scale casino.
By the way, there's a taekwondo tournament that's going to be held at the Playsite sports arena in Barangay Ma-a today, Friday. The venue is owned by Billie Quibod who I heard is a sports enthusiast. Later, some of the taekwondo players will also perform at SM Davao. Watch the kids do a synchronized demo. All for the fun of it.
