Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR says that its leaders are safe following reports this week that a number of high-ranking gaming officials were set to be fired by President Rodrigo Duterte.
PAGCOR was quick to absolve itself of any link to comments made by Duterte after he asked two ranking officials of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco) to resign earlier in the week.
According to the Philippine Star, which had originally linked comments made by Duterte to PAGCOR, Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III of party-list group Act-OFW clarified on Thursday that the President had been angered when he learned that the Apeco officials had granted a 75-year gaming license to an unnamed free port locator, likening it to those issued by the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority.
Duterte said at the time that, “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 it (gambling) so as much as possible we limit it.”
However, PAGCOR told Inside Asian Gaming on Thursday that reports by local media that PAGCOR officials were also in the President’s sights were untrue.
“A scrutiny of the statement of the President will clearly show that he was pertaining to a gaming regulator having control over free ports, which definitely cannot be attributed to PAGCOR,” a spokesperson said.
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