Galaxy can build casino anywhere except Boracay – Palace
HONG KONG – Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment can still build a casino anywhere in the Philippines except Boracay after President Duterte declared the island a land reform area in consonance with the ruling of the Supreme Court declaring the island paradise a state-owned
agricultural and forestal land.
Duterte said after the six-month cleanup, he will give Boracay to the farmers.
“They could have a provisional license. If they can’t build in Boracay, perhaps they could build elsewhere. That’s why I’m not saying unequivocally about the status of the Galaxy contract,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in press briefing Wednesday.
“I can address the issue of the license because that just means maybe they could open shop elsewhere. But I do not know,” he added.
“Perhaps the license, if there is any at all, I do not know how this will be resolved. But as far as Boracay is concerned, he wants the people to benefit from Boracay,” he continued.
According to Roque, it is the President who could authorize, through proclamation how Boracay should be utilized.
“It’s up to the President to decide who will be given actually tenurial rights in Boracay. He has said that he would like to give priority to the ordinary people, to the farmers, if there are,” he said.
“But for the time being, the task at hand is to preserve Boracay island for the future generation,” Roque added.
Filipino first Roque clarified that the President did not mean that after the six-month closure, tourists will no longer be allowed in Boracay.
“Ang ine-emphasize lang ng Presidente, unang-una, linisin muna natin ang Boracay nang sigurado tayo na ang susunod na henerasyon ay makikita ang kagandahan ng Boracay (What the President is trying to emphasize is that, we should clean Boracay first so we can be sure that the next generation can still see the beauty of the island),” he said.
“Pangalawa, sisiguraduhin niya na mag be-benepisyo ang mga ordinaryong Pilipino sa Boracay, hindi ang mga nag mamay-ari ng mga dambuhalang resorts diyan (Second, he will make sure that the small Filipino businessmen will be the ones who will benefit not the large resort owners there),” he added.
The President also denied allowing Galaxy Entertainment to construct a casino in the island.
“I never said about building anything or even a nipa hut there. What I said is that island itself is owned by the government. I’ve said it before, agricultural yan pati forestal (that is an agricultural and foresta land area),” he said.
Malacañang released photos showing the President meeting with Galaxy Entertainment Group in a courtesy call at the Palace last December. Recently the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) granted Galaxy and its Filipino partner, Leisure and Resorts World Corp. provisional license to build a casino in Boracay raising speculations that the President approved the building of a casino in Boracay.