Violations

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

On Bonifacio Day, around 500 students, teachers and residents in Sagada, Mountain Province condemned in a protest rally in front of the town hall the latest ambush on soldiers from the 54th Infantry Battalion that killed two soldiers namely, PFC Moses Tingtingga and PFC Hansel Onon; and wounded five others identified as Corporals William Agpawan, Albert Faliyan; and PCL Ian Mango, Jimmy Appao and Nathan Focasan

The soldiers were on their way home to their camp after a youth leadership summit at the Poblacion when they were attacked. The NPA was suspected to have executed the ambush.

Stories about ambuscades in Sagada have been reported over the years despite an agreement in 1986 that has declared the town as a Special Peace Zone. Such has disturbed the tourism and economic activities of the peaceful community.

Both the NPA and the government vowed to respect the old agreement. But if for other reasons, those who boast of protecting the rights of communities turn out as ordinary killers, then it is time to restudy the agreement that was recently violated.

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The one who lays down all his cards in pairs wins, and the one who maintains a set of cards that is not sungki-sungki collects the bets. These are called “Pares-pares” and “sungkian”, the card games I learned from other young boys in our neighborhood. No real money bets were involved then since we were yet to be enrolled in grade one. We were contented with “pitik-bulag” in penalizing a loser or hitting hard the knuckles of his closed fist with your middle finger.

Later in primary school, sungkian was enjoyed with play money, tamarind seeds or little pebble stones. Then in elementary school, we graduated from betting with play money to real centavo coins that were not spent during merienda breaks.

History took a natural course. In high school, aside from the slot machines that aunts and uncles frequented at the Halfway House in old Camp John Hay, there were gambling houses operated or owned by shady and at the same time influential businessmen in the city. If these were not “monte” and “pusoy” dens, these were mahjong rooms in private houses. Once in a while, newspapers printed stories of raids on illegal gambling dens but in most cases, nobody was caught.

If I recall right, there were three or four of these secret hideouts in Baguio, and two in La Trinidad. Some of those who haunted these places belonged to the same crowd of happy-go-lucky personalities who sought after the happiness and warmth that the circle of friends bring, while a few heartless gamblers who win most of the rounds have become permanent fixtures in the house.

In all these smoky dens, the main “pusoy” players were surrounded by a mix of small-time side bettors, out of duty cops, criminals, lawyers, farmer-businessmen, “paluteros”, money lenders and loan sharks. Around another table were Poker players, “Black Jackers”, “Lucky Niners”. The game depended on the choice of a majority.

I am aware of this situation because friends talk about it and once upon a time in college, I tagged along with an uncle and became an accidental visitor to one of the places. The situation changed along with the location of some of the houses that closed down. The late 70s saw the opening of a casino at the Pines Hotel, then later at The Hyatt along South Drive. The smaller secret hideaways survived as Pusoy Dos (Pinoy Poker) became popular.

There were protests then, both silent and loud, against the operation of casinos in Baguio and Benguet, and against gambling itself. In some instances, the operators gave up although there were instances when the fight was lodged in an unnecessary court battle.

Two weeks ago, newspapers announced the presence of around 300 or so casino-like “one-armed bandit” machines in three big malls in the city, particularly located at Session Road, Magsaysay Avenue and Marcos Highway. These slot machines are for e-bingo that are additional attractions to the e-casino that has been operating in one shopping mall.        

Bishop Carlito Cenzon who has been leading protests against all forms of legal and illegal gambling in the city and Benguet immediately told Mayor Domogan about his opposition to the gambling operations, even as this has yet to be verified. It was one courageous concerned private citizen who informed the Bishop about the gambling operations.

Our city officials have enough reasons to immediately stop gambling operations as they are backed by at least four resolutions that they passed in 1991, 2002, 2008 and 2013. Resolution No. 236, s. 1991 opposes the “return of casino to Baguio or the establishment of a new one under any other form or guise.” This, after the Baguio Hyatt casino was toppled down by a natural disaster; while Resolution No. 446 s. 2008 vigorously opposes the “establishment of a casino or the conduct of a gambling activities at Camp John Hay and anywhere in the city.”

These are all standing resolutions by the city opposing the establishment of casinos or any form of gambling. It stirs the mind why there is need for a private citizen to inform city hall of what is going on. It frustrates us to see that there is need for the Bishop to remind the mayor of a standing opposition to the wrongs.

A few years ago, a cop was shot right inside one of the gambling houses along Legarda. We never heard any howl from city hall, except for a hush-hush investigation that went pffft. The killer still roams around while gambling operations thrive. This is one reason why evil reigns because politicians who have all the opportunity to do what is proper do nothing.

The mayor said he has not signed any permit in relation to e-casino and e-bingo mall gambling operations. Then authorizes the good Bishop to “conduct a study and submit a report to serve as basis for the chief executive’s action” Can anybody please tell us what is happening to our rules. What a way to wash one’s hands. We remain a “sungki-sungki” city.