Mayor: San Leonardo casino not new

SAN LEONARDO, Nueva Ecija, Philippines – The casino in this town is not a new casino but an old one whose original proposed location was in another place.

Mayor Froilan Nagaño issued this clarification amid reports that the P60 million casino here is a new casino as claimed by officials of the Roman Catholic Church.

The project sparked indignation from the Catholic Church after bishops in La Union, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan said the operations of casinos would open more doors to corruption.

In Masses and bible services in the dioceses of Cabanatuan and San Jose, priests and lay ministers talked about the ill effects of gambling in the community, including the increase in crimes and cases of suicide, citing reports in Las Vegas, the world’s gambling capital.

They said if it is not legally possible to close casinos, they are pleading with the government not to open new ones. “Opening another casino will open more doors for corruption and pave the way for the impoverishment of gamblers,” they said.

Nagaño said that while he is not taking issue with the Catholic Church, he clarified that the San Leonardo casino is not a new casino but an existing one as its permit issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. was originally for the operation of a casino in Palayan City.

He said the venue of the casino was transferred to this town because of its strategic location since a casino in Palayan City is considered not feasible.

Nagaño expressed the belief that a casino in this town will open doors to its long-overdue economic development whose spillover effects will spread in adjoining areas and even to the entire province.

“This casino will be the primary growth driver for San Leonardo because with this casino. We will generate income and employ hundreds of people,” Nagaño said.

The P60 million casino building is nearing completion at a five-hectare area in Barangay Diversion along the Maharlika Highway here. The project, covering a floor area of 2,300 square meters and which took a year to finish, is reportedly owned by a certain Jose Madrigal. It is expected to start operations either next month or in September.