ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 12 Jun) - The locals, known for their love of gambling and illegal numbers games, may never heard this, but the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone (ZSEZ) and Freeport Authority may be coming to loggerheads over online gambling licensing issues.
According to Online Poker News, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is saying no other organization than itself has the power to issue such licenses.
"This Philippine brouhaha may block efforts the country is making to become more accessible to businesses seeking a place to headquarter online poker and online gambling organizations."
"Licenses have already been issued inside the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone, making the issue more complicated. Businesses such as Philippine E-gaming Jurisdiction Inc. have already begun making plans based on such issuances," it said on its headline on Tuesday which can be accessed on this URL: http://www.launchpoker.com.
The Online Casino News has this headlined also on Tuesday: "Online Casino Argument Brewing in The Philippines."
It said a dispute is brewing between local and national authorities as to who has the right to issue online gambling licenses.
The quarrel is between the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone And Freeport Authority and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
The Special Economic Zone is located about 15 miles from Zamboanga on the southern island on Mindanao, and is managed as a separate customs territory.
The area offers incentives for would-be investors to generate local economic activities serving as a springboard for the promotion of trade, investments and tourism throughout the region.
"The Presidential Assistant on Trade and the Vice Chair of ZSEZ, Christopher Arnuco, said that issuing licenses for gambling operations inside the Zone was covered by a legal opinion from Philippines Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, and confirmed that licenses had already been issued to Philippine E-Gaming Jurisdiction Inc (PeJI), which maintains an office in the Zone to control iGaming and other related activities," it reported on the URL: http://onlinecasinonews.com.
Under the license, PeJI is empowered to receive and process all applications for and award e-gaming licenses to business operators. Yet PAGCor says that PeJI’s operation is illegal and has ordered ZSEZ authorities to stop the operation, it added.
"This directive has been ignored as ZSEZ asserts that it is also authorized under law to issue licenses. However, possible legal action could result in this power being overturned by the Department Of Justice due to the language of the legal opinion," it said.
Local media have never touched on the issues for a still unknown reasons.
Residents in the past, on the prodding of the Catholic Church and some politicians, had opposed proposals to put up a casino and bingo centers in Zamboanga City, saying, it will corrupt the moral fiber and draw minors to vices.
But Zamboanga City is hosts to many cockpit arenas where locals spend more money in gambling. And some politicians themselves and civil workers are also into cockfighting.
Illegal cock fights on streets and numbers games popularly known as "swetres and wahoy" in villages are common in Zamboanga, despite it being a largely Catholic city. Street children also gamble on street corners. (Mindanao Examiner)
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