“Too many franchises,” says prez
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has fired two officials of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. for alleged abuses of power in the granting of gaming licenses.
According to the Philippine Star, Duterte said the officials illegally awarded a license to a free port operator. “I have fired and will fire tomorrow some more people,” Duterte said last week. “When you are granted this free port, you are beginning to abuse by issuing too many franchises of gambling.”
Inside Asian Gaming reported that the two PAGCOR officials already let go followed him to Cebu City to plead their case, insisting that they had only followed franchise regulations.
Duterte reportedly told them, “You said because it is in the franchise. Correct, it is in the franchise, but everything goes under a regulation. It is rightful to issue permits within your territory, but when you begin to issue gambling permits outside of your territory. I don’t like gambling, so as much as possible we limit it.”
