President Rodrigo Duterte made it clear Wednesday he does not want new casinos in the country, as he explained why he fired the whole board of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation over its decision to grant a long-term lease to a foreign firm that would build an integrated resort on property the foundation managed.
At the same time, the Commission on Audit raised questions on the 50-year lease deal made by the NPF with Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp. for the use of 9.57 hectares of land at the Manila Bay Reclamation Area in Parañaque City.
“I hate gambling. I don’t want it. There will be no casinos outside what is existing. I’m not granting anything,” the President said.
“You don’t give gambling licenses or franchises for 75 yearst,” Duterte added. “What I mean to say is, when a child is born today, 75 years later—he is that old —there will still be gambling in the city? I will not allow it.”
This developed as Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel to review “very carefully” its legal opinion that paved the way for the Nayong Pilipino Foundation to sign a lease contract with a Hong Kong-based casino resort operator.
“This review of all antecedent facts and relevant documents will guide the government in determining the proper course of action with respect to the lease contract,” Guevarra said in a text message.
Guevarra, who has administrative supervision over the OGCC, vowed to submit a recommendation to President Duterte as soon as the OGCC review was completed.
On the CoA’s part, in its 2017 audit report on Nayong Pilipino, the auditors noted the NPF Board did not give them a copy of the report on the independent appraisal on the appropriate rental rate for the property.
There was no proof of advertisement to the public to get offers from other parties aside from Landing Resorts, the report added.
“Thus, [Nayong Pilipino] was not able to compare the offer of LRPDC with other quotations/offers from interested investor to determine whether the said offer was the most advantageous to Nayong Pilipino Foundation,” the COA said.
Duterte on Tuesday dismissed the entire NPF board led by Chairperson Patricia Ocampo, making the announcement as Ocampo and her staff were breaking ground at Landing Resorts with the firm’s officials.
Malacañang had said the board entered into a “grossly disadvantageous” contract with Landing Resorts. NPF officers include presidential relative Maria Fema Duterte, who is at odds with her fellow board members.
The lease terms between the NPF and Landing International was for 25 years, starting from the date of execution of the contract, not 70 years as alleged by critics, according to Ocampo.
The monthly rentals were pegged at P360 per square meter, with an advance payment of P827.05 million.
Ocampo denied the allegations that the NPF board and management were involved in graft over the lease contract covering the NayonLanding project.
She said on top of the monthly rent, NPF would receive additional payments equivalent to 10 percent of the net profit from the operations of NayonLanding. With PNA