Guards bar DENR's Cimatu from Boracay mega-casino property

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Friday was prevented from entering the Boracay property in which a Macau-based company planned to construct a multimillion-dollar casino resort.

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. had secured a provisional license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to pursue the $500 million project, but had yet to submit the necessary applications for clearances and permits with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

According to a report on GMA 7 news program "24 Oras", Cimatu attempted to visit the proposed casino location in Sitio Sugud, Barangay Manoc-Manoc, but was denied entry by security guards.

The guards said they had been ordered keep anyone without authorization, including government officials, from the property.

They also claimed to be unaware of the property owner's identity.

"Instruction lang sa'min, ma'am, huwag kaming magpapapasok ng mga ibang tao po. (Government official?) Depende ho ma'am pag may order sa kanya," they said.

A large sign on the gate read, "Private property, no trespassing".

Cimatu told GMA News that he was not surprised that he had been prevented from inspecting the property.

"In-expect ko naman talaga na 'yon, may mga order sila na 'yon, sabi nila, na off-limits," he explained, adding he, too, did not know the property owner's exact identity.

"Hindi ko pa alam. Iba kasi ang nakalagay diyan sa mga titulo-titulo. Iba rin ang ano... Hindi ko lang alam kung anong ginamit nila na pangalan dito."

‘Huwag na lang sana sa Boracay’

Cameras accompanied Cimatu during a second attempt to inspect the property, this time by boat.

After sailing around the area, the secretary pointed to a portion of the island from afar.

"We don't have the exact ground location 'yung kanilang property coming from here but in that vicinity, ano, from that rocky portion, and being a rocky formations na mga gan'yan," he said.

"This really is subject to the approval of the ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate) kung pwedeng magalaw pa ito, mga ganyan, maraming mga considerations kasi na approval ng ECC," he added.

Without specifying whether or not his agency would issue Galaxy Entertainment an ECC, Cimatu admitted he was against the casino's construction.

"I don't like na magkakaroon ng casino dito. The island belongs more sa beach. In fact, ang kailangan nila, i-sustain and maintain natin. Sa tingin ko naman ay lumampas na sa carrying capacity eh. So any other mga constructions na mga buildings ay medyo sumobra na doon, sosobra," he explained.

Cimatu said he would prefer if Galaxy Entertainment, or any other company for that matter, built projects outside the island.

"Because of that carrying capacity... all, regardless of Galaxy or any ay hindi na namin papayagan," the secretary said.

"Huwag nalang sana sa Boracay. Huwag nalang sana sa island. They can look elsewhere. Meron naman sa mainland ," he added.

Boracay was two days into a six-month closure, which had been recommended to resolve environmental problems plaguing the island, President Rodrigo Duterte called it a "cesspool." 

The DENR was among the three government agencies which recommended the closure.

Inspections welcome

Leisure and Resorts World Corp. later apologized to Cimatu in a statement.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to Secretary Cimatu and his team when he was not able to enter our property in Barangay Manoc-Manoc Boracay," lawyer Kat Nepomuceno said on the company's behalf.

They had only been advised of Cimatu's visit after he had left.

The corporation vowed it would open the property to any government official who wished to inspect the property.

"We welcome any inspection that will be conducted by any government official on our property," Nepomuceno said.

President Duterte had stated earlier that the government had no plans of entertaining a casino project in Boracay. — Margaret Claire Lyug/DVM, GMA News