BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon
Gambling characters

BAGUIO CITY – So what if a casino would be set up in Camp John Hay? Aren’t we a city of gamblers? We gamble on anything – lotto, bingo (legal and illegal), sweepstakes, monte, tong-its, lucky 9, cara y cruz and yes, jueteng. Name it we have it.

We don’t begrudge the so-called Baguio Multi-Sectoral Group which warned the city council not to allow casino in the area or they would raise hell. The council could have been deathly afraid of being portrayed as gamblers or gambling advocates and being burned at the stakes come elections that they gave in to the BMSG’s demand. It is the right of the group to voice out their opinion on the matter. But then what about those of other lower life forms like us in this so-called “character city.”

It seems the city council was railroaded into backing the stand of the group without benefit of a public hearing or consultation on the matter. For all we know, the so-called multi-sectoral group could just be a composition of noisy characters who think they have the infallible right to determine the morals of city residents and how they should live their lives.
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We are supposed to be living in a democratic society where every stakeholder on an issue should have a right to say what is on his or her mind like on gambling. But no one should impose one’s will on others particularly on matters of public concern if the issue is not thoroughly threshed out or discussed.

There are anti-gambling advocates but there are also gambling advocates, the latter of whom think it would be better to open a casino in the city so everybody could do some gaming (a Pagcor term). Anyway, most officials of the region and residents of Baguio and Benguet are the ones who frequent casinos in La Union and Clark. At least, they reason, the money would stay in Baguio and prop up its economy considering its diminishing tourism allure. A gambler would always find a way to gamble.

As to illegal gambling advocates, they abound everywhere, even in the media. Don’t tell me you don’t see these characters everywhere betting or soliciting bets for the favorite numbers game called jueteng. They are at restaurants, stalls, parks, sidewalks. Yes, even at city hall. The discreet undertakers of course who go to the expensive restaurants are always the ones who win even without betting a single centavo.
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I’m no gambler, (gambling bores me) although I place my bet every now and then on lotto hoping I would win the jackpot so I would be able to buy Session or Abanao roads and close these anytime a big time concert promoter or company would approach me.

Now, gambling aficionados are saying it is high time the council amends the 19-point conditionalities imposed on the developer of the former American rest and recreation camp to allow gambling in the area, after a public hearing.

The council resolution noted “any plan to put up an activity that would corrupt the family, destroy the moral fiber and offer wrong choices to the people will create a societal problem in the city. It is imperative that the city take an aggressive action to immediately stop any plan to put up a casino or any gambling activity in any form or guise in the city including within the Club John Hay." Morals or molars? Organizers of the BMG, which includes religious leaders from mainstream evangelical churches, earlier revealed two members of the Bases Conversion Development Authority board of directors allegedly revealed plans to set up the gambling center inside Camp John Hay.
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The BMG invoked a provision of city resolution 362-1994 which provides that "BCDA shall ensure that only wholesome, family-oriented entertainment and recreation facilities will be established within Camp John Hay."

Now the pundits are asking: “Aren’t casinos wholesome and family oriented? If not, they say, the officials who go to such places are not wholesome and are not good family men. Their argument: people who go to casinos learn (often the hard way) about arithmetic and economics that things should be done in moderation.

The BMG and the city council cited resolution 362 that set the 19 conditionalities for the city council approval of the Master Development Plan for Camp John Hay as formulated by the BCDA in 1994. T

hey said condition No. 2 (on entertainment activities) provides "the BCDA shall ensure that only wholesome, family-oriented entertainment and recreational activities are conducted within the Zone." The condition stated "no casino operations shall definitely be allowed under any guise or form."
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The body also invoked resolution No. 221 series of 1989 "which condemns all forms of illegal gambling in the city and calls on all concerned government agencies to eradicate and stop the proliferation of gambling activities in the city. The presence of gambling activity runs counter to the moral standards which our heritage has impressed upon our people," the council said in its resolution. Echoken bebe, I could see Wilson Tuling, my friend and kingpin of Tuding saying with a grimace.

Go to popular watering holes along Session Road like Luisas Restaurant and you will get an idea on who the gamblers are (particularly those who are deep into illegal gambling) and the takers. As I said earlier, gambling bores me. It is when we have these self-righteous and hypocritical characters play their comic acts in the gambling stage play that our amusement makes our ears flap. Heehaw, heehaw, heehaw! You think I’m joking? Place a bet.