EDITORIAL

Policy shifts on Baguio casino

The repeated changing of positions by local officials relative to certain key issues and concerns, triggered by socio-political pressures from influential groups and individuals, does not speak well of the country's political and economic stability.

This observation was raised by business and tourism industry stakeholders in Baguio who viewed the “changing positions” of officials as “sending the wrong signals” to prospective investors about to infuse fresh capital that would perk up economic activities in urban centers around the country.

This “flip-flopping” in investment policies by government was once again raised by the sectors in connection with the controversial casino issue inside the Camp John Hay special economic zone.

On November 2008 and February 2009, the Baguio City Council passed resolutions opposing the prospective casino operations inside Camp John Hay. In 2003, the same local legislature approved and passed a resolution giving the go-signal for casino operations here.

These business and tourism sectors said the city council in 2003 which passed the resolution was then presided over by Vice Mayor Reinaldo A. Bautista Jr., acting as presiding officer. That 2003 resolution set conditions that the casino would be open only to tourists and CJH Club members.

The recent acts of the city council is a virtual reversal of the council’s 2003 stand, catching investors by surprise, local business said. Meanwhile, the city is reportedly losing millions of pesos in foregone income from the delayed operation of a casino inside the camp.

Bautista earlier expressed apprehension that a 2003 Supreme Court ruling on CJH had weakened the 19 conditions imposed by the city government as a requisite for its development, which includes a prohibition against a casino inside the facility.

The Supreme Court in several decisions said the city government or any local government unit cannot pass an ordinance or a resolution to prevent the operation of a national law.

Industry stakeholders said policy stability in local governments, like on the issue of casinos is essential to economic development. However, they said, the government will not progress any further if it continues to change its positions, especially when these have implications on investments flowing into the local economy. Under the law, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is the entity that grants license to any interested party to operate a casino.

So what happens next? For sure there would be no casino at Camp John Hay until after next year’s elections when the new set of officials would determine its fate.