PAGCORrupt runs against the straight path

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PAGCORrupt runs against the straight path

By Alejandro del Rosario

There’s more than meets the eye in the Macau bribery mess that Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chief Cristino “Bong’ Naguiat has found himself in.

There are text messages circulating that Naguiat has enlisted some columnists to help him keep the high-paying job of Pagcor general manager, a position just about everyone who helped in the presidential campaign is lusting for. The busy text brigade is also suggesting an alleged dalliance between Naguiat and a pretty high-ranking Pagcor executive.

The Pagcor chief post comes with a lot of perks and travel, including the pick of a bevy of gorgeous girls working in the government-run casinos. But Maricar Bautista, Naguiat’s PR girl, would be the first to tell you that Naguiat is a family-oriented man. After all, he brought his wife, children and a nanny to Macau at the invitation of Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada for a three-day stay at the luxurious Wynn Resorts Hotel in the former Portuguese colony.

The whole thing blew up when Okada partner and Wynn Hotel Resorts and Casino majority owner Steve Wynn accused Okada of allegedly bribing Naguiat with luxury hotel accommodations, a lavish dinner reception, $20,000 shopping money and an expensive Givenchy ladies bag for Mrs. Naguiat,

To be fair, the handbag was returned to Okada. Maybe Mrs. Naguiat didn’t like the brand and would have preferred a Hermes like what Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao gave Mommy Dionisia as a gift.

The corporate world of casinos is like a game of chance, you win some, you lose some. It cannot be a win-win situation even if your last name is Wynn. As Steve Wynn is beginning to find out, he has taken on a formidable foe in Okada who has a lot of friends in the Philippines and who knows how to do business in the country.

Take Rep. Amado Bagatsing, for instance. The chairman of the games and amusement committee in the House quickly moved to clear Naguiat without the same zeal that he went after the previous Pagcor management.

Bagatsing also called for the outright banning of Wynn from participating in any casino venture in the Philippines even if Wynn has yet to express interest in investing in any casino project here.

While it is true that Okada’s plan to enter the lucrative casino business here could give his Wynn Hotel and Casino in Macau a run for the high rollers’ money, the American businessman is used to competing in a level playing field. His experience and track record in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Macau would show his flexibility to adjust in a highly competitive environment. He is placing his bets that the big Chinese gamblers from the Mainland and Hong Kong would still flock to nearby Macau rather than take the risk of traveling to a country with a high crime rate.

Wynn filed a case of bribery in the US District Court of Las Vegas against Okada and sacked him as a major shareholder in his Macau casino because he had to. As an American, Wynn is culpable under a US law penalizing bribery of foreign officials. Okada, although Japanese, is a major shareholder in Wynn Resorts, a US- listed corporation. His alleged act of bribery would make Wynn’s company liable.

Naguiat is a foreign official. Pagcor is not a private entity but a government agency run by officials appointed by the President of the Republic of Philippines. Pagcor was established in 1976 and is the country’s third-largest revenue contributor to government coffers after the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs. With Naguiat’s huge salary and perks, one has to question his lapse in judgment by accepting what is known as “standard practice” in the gaming industry for visiting VIPs.

While the President initially tried to defend Naguiat, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said it’s up to the Pagcor official to resign or go on leave while Malacañang is investigating his case.

Why are we writing about the Naguiat-Okada imbroglio a week after it happened? It’s to keep it in the public glare lest we lose sight of it like the Ephraim Genuino mismanagement of Pagcor. But that, as they say, is another story.