The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government will hold a committee hearing today to hear the side of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation operating the Casino Filipino- Bacolod, on City Ordinance 599 that requires it to secure a Resolution of No Objection from the SP.

Councilor Caesar Distrito, committee chairman, said they will come up with an evaluation later to see whether it will secure a RONO or not, before acting on the matter.

Distrito said PAGCOR had informed them earlier that it had forwarded the communication of the SP to its legal department for legal advice because one of their arguments is that their operation in L'Fisher Hotel is not new since they have been operating there for several years and only expanded recently.

But he pointed out that Section 4 of the Charter of PAGCOR requires them to secure the consent of the local government unit.

Distrito said they are also questioning why PAGCOR pushed through with their inauguration without the opinion from their legal department on the RONO requirement.

He said they heard that there are current negotiations to increase the PAGCOR fund share of the city of Bacolod, but he thinks it is not a valid ground for the SP to issue a RONO.

Distrito said he does not care if he will lose his PAGCOR share because of his insistence of strict compliance with the laws of the city.

He said a meeting was called by Mayor Monico Puentevella with the members of the SP to discuss the issues.

Distrito, however, said he was not at the meeting because he was out of town when he was informed of the invitation of Puentevella.

He said that, as chairman of the Committee on Laws, it is his responsibility to hear and give PAGCOR a chance to explain its side before they take action.*CGS

back to top