STRIKE A POSE. Members of the Boracay Interagency Task Force and other Cabinet secretaries pose in front of the new Boracay icon at the Cagban Port during the reopening of the island on Friday (October 26, 2018). (Photo by Karen Bermejo)
BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday recommended the issuance of an executive order (EO) from President Rodrigo Duterte to speed up the ban on casino operations in Boracay.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, in a press conference with members of the Boracay Interagency Task Force at Cagban Port, said an EO would provide a lasting ruling for a no-casino policy on the island.
Aside from the EO, Guevarra likewise pointed other measures could be implemented to halt operation of casinos in Boracay, particularly the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) exercise of its accreditation power.
To note, only establishments with DOT accreditation can operate in Boracay.
Guevarra said the Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) could also stop granting franchises to casinos in Boracay while the local government unit could stop issuing licenses to businesses with such operation.
He said the no-casino policy is in line with the plan of the task force to make Boracay a family-friendly destination, a concept for the “new Boracay”.
“Tourists should enjoy its beaches,” he said.
Interior department officer-in-charge, Secretary Eduardo Año, said no casino has been allowed to re-operate during the island’s reopening on Friday. “No casino is now existing in Boracay,” he said.
He said Pagcor has also recently issued a cease and desist order to a casino operator in a hotel on the island. (PNA)
