Beleaguered Pagcor chairman finds allies in Senate

MANILA, Philippines – Like Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairman Cristino Naguiat, more government officials will probably end up in jail if accepting perks as part of industry practice will be considered bribery in this country.

Cristino Naguiat. AFP PHOTO

This was how Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile defended Naguiat from allegations that he accepted free accommodations and other perks from Japanese businessman Kazuo Okada when he and some officials of Pagcor went to Macau in 2010.

“Alam mo sa gambling industry, natural lang yan lalo na kung ikaw ay high roller na tinatawag. Libre lahat – pati ticket mo, limousine, pati lahat ng gusto mong kanin… Papatirahin ka sa magandang kwarto, magandang hotel, bibigyan ka pa ng magandang kasama [You know, in the gambling industry, it’s normal, especially if you are a high-roller. Everything is free – your ticket, limousine and food. They will give you a good room or hotel, and give you a beautiful companion for good measure],” Enrile told reporters on Tuesday.

“That’s a practice in the trade. Marami sa ating mga opisyal dito e pupunta sa bilanggo. Basta namasyal sa Macau, karamihan dyan – hindi naman lahat – bibigyan ng special concessions, privileges [Many of our officials will go to jail. When you visit n Macau, most of them but not all, are given special concessions, privileges],” he said when asked if the perks that Naguiat received during his Macau trip could be considered a bribe.

Enrile believes that Naguiat has not violated any law and that there is no reason for him to leave or step down from office.

“Huwag na nating pasakitin ang ulo natin sa mga ganyan. E pupunta ka sa Las Vegas, maski pipitsugin ka lang, bibigyan ka ng suite dun [When you go to Las Vegas, even if you’re a small-time official, they will give you a suite],” he pointed out.

The Senate leader saw no reason why Congress should investigate Naguiat on this controversy.

“For what? For what pa?” he asked.

Told that the House of Representatives was investigating the matter, Enrile said, “Ewan ko. Baka gusto nilang pitikin ng konti si Bong [I don’t know. Maybe they want to flick Bong [Naguiat] a little]?”

Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada also believes there is no reason for Naguiat to resign or take a leave of absence, saying accepting free accommodations “has been the practice ever since.”

“He [Naguiat] should not resign. Basta wala naman syang ninakaw sa gobyerno bakit sya magre-resign [For as long as he didn’t steal anything from the government, why should he resign]?” said Estrada in a separate interview.