Baguio City VM Backpedals On E-bingo OK

June 5, 2021 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (June 5, 2021) – Baguio City Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, who is presiding over the Baguio City Council, is apologizing for passing legislations that might have offended them and that the local legislators will continue to ensure the enactment of ordinances and resolutions that will be for the benefit of the city residents.

Olowan has backpedalled his from his stance after listening and realizing the sentiments of the Baguio people against electronic bingo in the city.

Earlier, the council entertained the application of the RCC Global Entertainment to operate additional electronic and traditional bingo outlets along Mabini Street and Marcos highway to add up to the existing 4 e-bingo outlets that had been approved in the past.

In the recent public consultation, various non-government organizations, religious denominations, private groups, academe and individuals expressed their opposition to the intention of the gaming corporation.

They commonly stressed the nature of the City of Baguio as the city of character. They also voiced out the evils of gambling where numerous families were broken.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong meanwhile slammed the management of RCC Global Entertainment for their alleged failure to personally appear during the public consultation to personally listen to the overwhelming sentiments of the various sectors against the company’s proposal. He claimed that the company’s gesture to send its representative to attend the public hearing and listen to the sentiments of the people on the controversial matter is an insult to the city officials who spared their time to be present and listen to the voice of the people on the proposal to open two additional e-bingo outlets in the city.

Earlier, Magalong refused to affix his signature on two resolutions that was approved by the city council allowing the operation of electronic and traditional bingo outlets in the city because the industry or the activity by its nature alone warrants the conduct of public consultations to ascertain the real sentiment of the people on the controversial matter.

He said however he will not hand down a decision on the matter as he will be waiting the decision of the city council on whether or not to pursue the earlier approved resolutions approving the operation of the additional e-bingo outlets following the results of the public consultation that was aimed at eliciting the sentiments of the residents on the matter.

The results of the public consultation, including the numerous position papers of the attendees, will be transmitted to the local legislative body’s Committee on Laws, Justice and Human Rights for study and recommendation on what the position of the council will be in the coming months.

Artemio A. Dumlao