Crackdown on against Baguio e-casino joints

By Aileen Refuerzo and Dexter See

BAGUIO CITY – Crackdown against electronic casino joints here is on after Mayor Mauricio Domogan ordered city police headed by Senior Supt. Rolando Miranda to go after illegal joints following confirmation by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Cristino Naguiat Jr. no permit was issued by PagCor for such games like e-casino and e-bingo in the city.

“I asked our city police to check on these e-game establishments, find out what authority they have to operate and to close them if they have no permit,” the mayor said on Wednesday.

Baguio Apostolic Vicar Bishop Carlito Cenzon earlier called the mayor’s attention on the existence of e-casino operation in one shopping mall in the city.

The mayor who said he has not signed any permit to allow said operation authorized the bishop to conduct a study and submit a report to serve as basis for the chief executive’s action.

Naguiat said Pagcor will not approve any application for e-games in the city unless the city allows it.

The city has standing resolutions opposing the establishment of casino or any form of gambling.

Domogan during his term as congressman of the city was among those who proposed the amendment of the Pagcor charter to give local government units a say on allowing Pagcor games to operate in their locality.

At present, Pagcor requires applicants for license to operate games to secure a “letter of no objection” from local government units.

Naguiat said the city’s refusal to allow casino and other Pagcor games would not mean forfeiture of its privilege to secure assistance from the government gaming firm.

Recently, Bishop Cenzon expressed strong opposition on the entry of any electronic gambling in the city, saying that the prevalence of legal and illegal forms of gambling greatly compromises the morals of the people who have earlier voiced out their objections to gambling operations in the city.

Despite the opposition, Naguiat said this will not stop Pagcorfrom giving aid to the city such as what it has already given for the construction of buildings or facilities for schools like Baguio City National High School and Philippine Military Academy.

Pagcor recently agreed to fund the construction of a 32-classroom structure on the lot allotted for the Baguio City National High School in Irisan barangay and a 20-classroom building at the Pines City National High School in preparation for the senior high school program to start in 2016.

“We just have to respect kung anong opinion ng mga tao, mahirap yung papasok ka sa isang gulo. Kung yun ang opinion (stand on e-games) nila, we respect it,” he said.

Domogan welcomed the decision of Pagcornot to operate its e-casino games in the city without the consent of the local government, citing that it will send a clear message to those intending to operate such e-gambling activities that they have to respect the stand of the local government against all forms of gambling in the city.

“Gambling is a social menace that will affect the stability of a certain locality that is why it is best for the city government to oppose all forms of gambling operations in order to help in the uphill climb of bringing back the morals of the people,” Domogansaid.