Galaxy insists on Boracay
Despite the President’s rejection on casino expansion, Galaxy Entertainment says it won’t back down on its Boracay Island development.
Philippines.- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been cutting down on casino expansion in the country and shut down any new casino projects. However, Galaxy Entertainment says it won’t back down on its Boracay Island development as the company believes new rules don’t apply to them.
When the Galaxy Boracay project was announced, Duterte hadn’t even taken office. When he decided to shut down the island in order to clean it up, the operator waited until it was opened again, but was slapped with the President’s decision once it finally did.
Back in October, the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) asked the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to cancel all casino licences from the Boracay island. The letter came after Duterte revealed that no casinos will be allowed in the territory.
According to Chairwoman of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR), Andrea Domingo, President Rodrigo Duterte is not expected to change his anti-casino stance any time soon. He has yet to address the casino moratorium implemented in January 2018 and the uncertainty around the future is a concern for the industry.
Recently, Duterte’s spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said: “Until such time as he makes a formal statement on the matter, I think whatever his former position was, subsists.”
