(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte said there is no need to issue executive order banning casinos in Boracay since the people in the resort island themselves do not want casinos in their area.
“Ang survey dito…ang mga tao ng Boracay ayaw ng sugal. So it’s ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God.’ If it is the wish of the population here that they do not want a casino, then [there] will be no casino” he said during his visit to the island on Thursday, Nov. 8.
“I’ll just say that huwag na lang. Anyway, it’s a privilege. Whether I put it in writing or just say it verbally. It is not a requirement that I should really be, you know, writing something,” he added.
The statement came during his visit to the resort island during the distribution of land certificates to beneficiaries.
President Duterte explained that he doesn’t want casinos in Boracay as crimes such as illegal drug trading, kidnapping and other crimes exist in gambling areas.
“A hotel with a casino is not good because there are a lot of things that will happen. It becomes dysfunctional actually. Kidnappings, drugs, and everything,” President Duterte said.
“And it is a place where most of the gangster around in this or thereabout or just stay there and commit all crimes of sorts,” he said.
The President also assigned Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to address problems in Boracay, including those concerning peace and order, and the environment.
He also stressed that he is personally against gambling in the island.
“I said there’s going to be no gambling and that’s it,” President Duterte said.
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