Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI), the operating entity of Philippines integrated resort Okada Manila, has filed for an Urgent Motion for Reconsideration after the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a status quo ante order requiring former company Chairman and CEO Kazuo Okada be restored to the board.
The company’s founder was removed from the boards of TRLEI and its Japanese parent company, Universal Entertainment Corp, in 2017 following an internal investigation which alleged he had committed three cases of fraudulent acts against the company. He has been involved in various legal battles with the company in Japan, the Philippines and Hong Kong ever since.
The status quo ante order, issued by the Supreme Court on 27 April and published in part by Inside Asian Gaming earlier this week, calls for TRLEI to restore the composition of its board of directors to its 2017 lineup, before the dispute between Universal and Kazuo Okada began.
In response, TRLEI issued a statement to IAG on Friday in which it said it has filed the Urgent Motion for Reconsideration asking the Court to revoke the order.
“We believe the TRLEI has strong legal basis for the revocation of the status quo order,” it said. “Our parent company, Tiger Resort Asia Ltd. (TRLA), a Hong Kong company, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Universal Entertainment Corporation (UEC), a Japanese company.
“The removal of Mr Kazuo Okada as chairman, CEO, director, and nominal stockholder of TRLEI in 2017 was valid and legal. It was done upon the instructions of our parent company. We would like to highlight that any issue on Mr Okada’s removal can only be decided in Japan.
“In fact, the Japanese Supreme Court issued a final decision in 2020 affirming the validity and legality of Mr Okada’s removal from TRLEI.
“In the Philippines, both the Regional Trial Court and the Court of Appeals confirmed the validity and legality of his removal. The Philippine Supreme Court’s issuance of a status quo ante order, a temporary measure, does not change the ownership structure of TRLEI nor will it impact our operations.
“We are confident that the Philippine Supreme Court will eventually see the correctness of our position and rule in our favor.
TRLEI will continue to operate business as usual, providing the highest quality of service to our guests and patrons as we welcome them back to Okada Manila from the pandemic lockdown.”
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