By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents
THE city council has yet to act on Limketkai and Sons Inc.’s proposed casino in the city because Councilor Zaldy Ocon has yet to turn over documents pertaining to the firm’s application, Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy said.
Uy said the city council would hear the positions of stakeholders as a committee of the whole on the proposals submitted by the Limketkais, and businessman Gonzalo Go Jr.. Go submitted an application to open a casino near Limketkai center last week.
“Tua pa ni Councilor Ocon ang mga documents sa Limketkai. Wala pa gyud nako mabasa,” said Uy.
When Uy was in Europe in February, Ocon called for a public hearing on the proposed casino at Limketkai center. Uy stopped Ocon’s committee on games and amusement from hearing it, saying the city council would do it as a committee of the whole.
Uy said he did not want to give his opinion on the proposed casino.
“Dili sa ko mohatag sa akong huna-huna kon pabor ba ko o dili sa casino kay dili ko gusto nga ma-preempt ang among decision sa city council,” Uy said.
Uy denied that he preferred that a casino be opened at the now closed Pryce Plaza in Carmen. He said what he meant was that the hotel should be reopened because it has become a Cagayan de Oro landmark.
On Friday, Archbishop Antonio Ledesma led a group in echoing the opposition to the proposed casino operations in the city even as he revealed an alleged attempt by the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp. (Pagcor) to influence the local Roman Catholic archdiocese into allowing a casino to be opened here.
Ledesma said the offer was for Pagcor to help the archdiocese in building a drug rehabilitation center apparently in exchange for allowing the casino operations.
“Dili man mahimo nga mag-construct sila (Pagcor) og drug rehabilitation center aron pagsulbad sa drug addiction, apan mag-build usab sila sa laing paagi sa addiction like casino,” Ledesma said.
He added: “Gambling is another form of addiction.”
He appealed to Mayor Oscar Moreno, and the city council to reject the casino plans.
Msgr. Rey Manuel Monsanto, parish priest of the Eco Church in Kauswagan, said the anti-casino groups wanted to send the message to Pagcor officials that they were prepared to block the casino plans in the city.
Carl Cabaraban, coordinator of the Social Action Center of the local archdiocese, said the groups were preparing to bring the protest to the streets.
“Kon gikinahanglan nga kasohon, walay problema na, bisan mo-abot pa sa Supreme Court,” said businessman Tito Mora, a member of the Social Action Center.
Meanwhile, Councilor Romeo Calizo said that while he was in favor of allowing a casino in the city, he would listen to the position of religious groups.
Calizo, vice chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Games and Amusement, assured that the city council would give Ledesma’s group equal time when the local legislature starts public hearings on the casino.
“I favor the entry of a casino but I would respect the religious group’s opinion,” he said. “Ipaagi pa kini og public hearing and plenary discussion. Layo pa possibility ani nga madesisyunan. The issue of casino would be submitted for brainstorming by the committee as a whole.”
But Calizo said the city council would also give the same opportunity to the casino proponents, and consider the advantages of having one in the city, and “kung unsa pud ang matabang ngadto sa Kagayanons.”
Calizo said, “Mokita man gyud ang casino.”
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