Thursday, December 24, 2009

Rota casino officials deny conflict of interest

Rota casino officials deny conflict of interest

Thursday, 24 December 2009 00:00 By Junhan B. Todeno - Reporter

MEMBERS of the Rota Casino Gaming Commission are not offering their properties to a prospective investor, its Secretary Justin S. Manglona said.

He said none of them have personal interests in the casino business.

A Rota resident told the Variety that the casino commissioners were “racing against each other” to get the prospective investor’s approval regarding the site for a new hotel.

One investor, according to the resident, who refused to be identified, chose the prime lots between Songsong and Sinapalo.

But the commission, he said, offered another site located on one of the commissioners’ properties.

“There’s no such thing like that. We are professionals in the commission,” Manglona said.

He said the commission hasn’t heard any complaint from residents.
The commission, he added, will not be influenced by its members in choosing the lot for the site of a casino hotel.

This month, three prospective casino investors picked up application forms, one of which has already been submitted to the commission, Manglona said.

It will take at least a month for the commission to evaluate the application to determine whether it is in compliance with regulations, he added.

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