Thursday, January 17, 2008 AUF students protest E-Casino By Ian Ocampo Flora and Dante M. Fabian
ANGELES CITY -- Holding streamers and placards, about 200 students of Angeles University Foundation (AUF) staged -- in what can be hailed as this city's first ever anti-gambling student action -- a protest rally against a government-operated gaming facility here on Wednesday.
The students, who came from different college departments of AUF, marched from the main campus and aired their grievances in front of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) E-Casino facility here.
The mass action was made after AUF chancellor Emmanuel Angeles denounced the opening of the facility, which violates existing zoning laws. The E-Casino is partly an online facility where customers can gamble online. The facility, set to formally open on Friday, is set to feature the usual casino games like slot machines, bacarrat and black jack.
Angeles said the Pagcor E-Casino is located only about 150 meters from AUF. "It is also near the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church, and several meters away from the Mother of Perpetual Help School of Midwifery and the Philippine Women's University. There is also a Montessori nearby," he said.
He said the existence of gambling and gaming halls near educational and religious institution is against the law.
Sylvia Soriano, vice president for administration of AUF, said the facility is a direct affront to public morals and may provide possible "distraction" to students in the area. "The E-casino is situated near the school, this is not just an ordinary facility but a big one operated by Pagcor. We will not stop these rallies until this facility closes," she said.
According to the protesters, the E-Casino, which is located at the second floor of the Eloisa Building along McArthur Highway corner Angeles-Pandan Road violates the 200 meter radius set by Philippine Zoning Law which prohibits the operation of gambling facilities within the radius of school or church establishments.
"We have set up rounds of protest rallies from 2 to 3 p.m., 3 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Students will see to it that the management of this E-Casino will get our message," said Christina Marie Tobias, University Student Council president here.
The university will continue the rallies on Thursday until Friday when bigger rally is set to be staged and to be participated by a majority block of the university community.
The protesters, accompanied by their professors and instructors, shouted anti-gambling phrases and prayed in front of the Pagcor facility.
"Gambling is immoral, and as students we have the right to study in a community free from such establishments," Tobias said, as she waves a banner condemning the existence of the establishment.
"Our chancellor has filed for a temporary restraining order (TRO), but as of the moment we could only hope that the TRO could be released just before the casino operates on Friday," Soriano added.
Soriano said they have coordinated with the officials of other schools to join in the protest rallies.
Councilor Jesus Sangil meantime denounced the establishment of the online casino near the AUF and vowed to file a resolution seeking the City Council's opposition to the same.
Sangil said he would file a resolution urging the executive department of Angeles City to stop the impending opening and operation of on-line casino of Pagcor in the city.
He said gaming facility -- located in Barangay Salapungan, Angeles City -- is about to open and operate without the knowledge of city officials and added that the implementation of such project -- no matter how significant the possible benefits to the city -- violate provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act (RA) 7160.
He cited that violations include the very basic dynamics of governance that include the mandatory consultation of local government units by concerned government agencies in their undertakings in affected areas, as stipulated in RA 7160.
He said the location of the online casino also violates existing national and city ordinances on the prohibition of establishment of gaming facilities near schools and other institutions of learning.
