Philippines discuss Boracay casino ban

A presidential spokesman ratified the DoJ’s recommendation on issuing an executive order to confirm the no-casino policy.

Philippines.- President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed his stance on the casino ban in the Boracay Island after it was closed by the Philippine authorities for a clean-up. The government urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to cancel all casino licences from the Boracay island through a letter by the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), but the local Department of Justice (DOJ) said the measure may need an executive order (EO) to be enforced.

“The President may, by an EO, direct the PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.) to prohibit the grant of licenses to casinos in Boracay and cancel existing license already granted… An EO is proper to direct PAGCOR to hold the grant of licences to casinos in Boracay and to revoke existing licenses,” a legal opinion signed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo confirmed the possibility of Mr Duterte issuing an EO in the future and said: “The policy of the President is there should be no gambling casino inside Boracay because he feels that this is a family thing. Families go there, and he doesn’t want that there will be gambling inside Boracay.”

“(The EO) will be coming from the Office of the Executive Secretary,” Panelo added but explained that he “hasn’t received any draft.”