Baguio bishop junks Aquino offer of devt thru 'gambling money'

A Catholic bishop in Northern Luzon has declined President Benigno Aquino III's offer of aid for economic development because the funds came from the state's gambling agency. Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon said that Aquino asked him if he was willing to accept money from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and that he said no. “I told President Aquino we oppose casino and all forms of gambling," Cenzon said in an interview on Church-run Radio Veritas. Excerpts of the Cenzon interview were posted Tuesday evening on the Union of Catholic Asian News website. Cenzon and Aquino met while Aquino was in Baguio City last weekend to greet the New Year. (See: Report: Aquino welcomes 2011 in Baguio, gets mountain bike as gift) During the meeting, Cenzon said Aquino asked him if he were willing to accept money from the PAGCOR for his diocese. “I had to say no. I said I’m not alone in this; the whole community, the mayor and local government officials are against gambling," Cenzon said. But he said Aquino was really interested in helping draw in investment for Baguio City, a top tourist attraction especially during summer. Cenzon said one of the sources Aquino wanted to tap for funds is the PAGCOR, a government-owned and -controlled corporation created to regulate gambling and fund the government’s socio-economic projects. “He loves Baguio, I felt it; he really wanted to help. But he will have to consult first with our mayor and congressman," Cenzon said. Also, he said the city needs to develop immediately because its population is increasing and landslides have been happening especially during the rainy season. “It’s scary. Our urgent problem here is zoning. Our charter is 100 years old and there is a need to amend it," the bishop said. PAGCOR operated a casino at Baguio’s Pines Hotel from 1978 until 1984 when the hotel was razed by a fire. Casino operations resumed at the Hyatt Terraces Hotel from 1986 to 1990, when the hotel collapsed during an earthquake that devastated the city. Efforts to revive casino operations in the city have since then met with strong opposition from the public, the Church, and local civic groups. (See: Baguio’ triumphs and woes over corporations in the guise of development) Criticism vs bishop’s projects In a related development, a member of a prominent Ibaloi clan with long-standing ancestral land claims in Baguio said Aquino chose the wrong person to consult if he really wanted to restore Baguio’s “old glory". In an article posted on Facebook Notes and several other sites, Joaquin Cariño, former newspaper publisher and indigenous rights advocate, scored Cenzon’s several projects in the city. Cariño cited the “much criticized" building of a fence around Burnham Park, which he said was initiated by Cenzon as a member of the Baguio Centennial Commission. “Monetary ‘donations’ were solicited from individuals, families and institutions to finance the fence’s construction. In exchange, the donors will have ‘advertising space’ in the fence’s spans which they financed," Cariño said. He said the project, which he described as “visual pollution", was against the idea of American architect Daniel Burnham who envisioned the park as “wide open spaces" within the city. Burnham, after whom the park was named, was the original planner and architect of Baguio City. Anthony de Leon, former member of the now defunct Burnham Park Management Authority (BPMA), earlier said in a Facebook page that the original plan was to merely rehabilitate an old fence along the children’s playground on one side of the park. The plan, however, eventually changed to include the rest of the park, which BPMA opposed. The fencing project was originally undertaken under a memorandum of agreement between the BPMA and Cenzon’s group, according to de Leon, who is also the president of the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Baguio (HRAB). Cariño also cited other projects allegedly also involving Cenzon, such as the multi-colored decorative lamps, now non-functional, and the enclosing of the Cathedral Steps from Session Road, which he said showed a “lack of aesthetic sense." He added the “fly away" parking lot in the Baguio Cathedral grounds, also initiated by Cenzon according to Cariño, which changed the Baguio skyline and covered from view the iconic twin towers of the Cathedral. “If Noynoy wants to restore Baguio’s ‘old glory’ then he chose the wrong person to have a tete-a-tete with," Cariño said.—With Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV