PATH
MANILA, FEBRUARY 24, 2012
(STANDARD) Bribery is standard practice in the casino
industry, according to Malacañang Palace. So, it's all right to accept a
bribe—especially if the bribe is received by a former classmate and very close
associate of President Noynoy Aquino, the founder of "daang matuwid."
And Cristino "Bong" Naguiat, who was so shocked that when he took over the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. that the agency was giving free coffee
during the previous administration, must now have become acclimatized to his new
surroundings. Naguiat has just been named in a suit filed by Las Vegas-based
casino giant Wynn Resorts, as one of two recipients (the other being his
predecessor in Pagcor, Efraim Genuino) of $110,000 in bribes from a big-time
Japanese pachinko operator who is also Wynn's partner.
Wynn is accusing pachinko tycoon Kazuo Okada of going behind the company's
bank (where Okada also serves as a director) and making secret deals with Pagcor
officials to put up casinos in the Philippines, to the detriment of the American
company's interest. And because Malacañang cannot accuse gambling king Steve
Wynn of being an anti-Aquino partisan, the palace has been forced to say that
Naguiat is just following industry practice—and saving the government money at
the same time—by accepting "gifts" from Okada.
"We're coming from a perspective of cutting costs," palace spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said. "Pagcor chairman Naguiat already mentioned that this [accepting
complimentary trips and accommodations from casino operators] is an industry
practice."
This lame line being peddled by Lacierda, who is no stranger to telling
whoppers in the name of his boss, deserves all the cynicism that it is
generating. And it is perfectly understandable if Aquino's own
adherents—especially those who remember the long-held anti-casino position of
Corazon Aquino—are booing this latest attempt to protect a close Noynoy
associate who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
But no amount of pointing to industry practice, the involvement of former
officials of the previous administration in it and cost-cutting will erase the
fact that Naguiat accepted bribes, as Wynn Resorts' suit alleges. Naguiat, who
will not countenance the giving of free coffee, accepted expensive freebies from
a casino operator who wants to put up a gambling establishment in Manila.
And Aquino is looking the other way yet again, while his spokesman is forced
to come up with the most incredible of lies. Daang matuwid, my foot, as Miriam
Defensor Santiago would say.
More likely, Naguiat lived it up, "comping" everything, in Okada's Macau
casino like everyone else who held his position previously, whether or not he
really hates free coffee. And now that he's been caught, he may have become as
nervous and jumpy as any coffee junkie.
Why do I get the distinct feeling that nothing apart from a full-blown
caffeine addiction on the part of Naguiat will come out of this?
* * *
Speaking of investors, perhaps they should start taking Okada's route, if
they want to get the approvals they want. That's especially true if government
agencies state corporations incessantly throw roadblocks in the way of
investors.
One such horror story is the aborted forcible takeover of the Bases
Conversion and Development Authority at Camp John Hay in Baguio City of the
Manor Hotel, Camp John Hay Suites Hotel, Camp John Hay Golf Club, the
administrative offices and other key utilities and facilities of its private
partner, Camp John Hay Development Corp. BCDA and its subsidiary, the John Hay
Management Corp. are now accused of acting in bad faith with their repeated
violations of the original Memorandum of Agreement in 1996 as well as the three
subsequent revised MoAs—and then demanding payment of over P3 billion in back
rentals.
CJHDevco claims to have religiously paid P1.4 billion in rentals and
completed P2.6 billion-worth of development projects. BCDA chairman Felicito
Payumo and JHMC president Jamie Eloise Agbayani have gone on a two-week media
blitz to demonize CJHDevco as a delinquent partner.
The story of the Suites Hotel project is by itself a cautionary tale.
CJHDevco spent P230 million in 2008 and a total of P500 million for the 208-room
"condotel" project. All it asked from JHMC was the approval of the building
permit, in step with the proviso on the establishment of such a one-stop center
to assist the private developer and its locators.
Unfortunately for CJHDevco, this application for a building permit went
nowhere. It was released only in October 2010 and CJHDevco was not able to
launch the Suites project or develop any other new project in the special
economic zone.
Perhaps the John Hay investors should start taking the officials of the state
agencies they deal with on freebie junkets, to solve their problems.
[PHOTO - Mr. Jojo Robles is a journalist and columnist of the Manila
Standard and part owner of a publishing company. He is also columnist of the
Iloilo The News Today.com]
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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