By JUNE S. BLANCO
QUEZON CITY. – The Lower House will investigate shortly the
alleged US$30 million payola that a Japanese businessman had given to a PAGCOR
consultant.
Introduced by Rep. Erico Aumentado
(2nd District, Bohol), House Resolution 2931 states that the
investigation, in aid of legislation, will probe the payola that Japanese
billionaire Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment to one Rodolfo Soriano in
2010 – for lobbying to secure tax and other government concessions for the
Japanese firm.
The resolution said the sum is six times the amount
initially confirmed by Reuters that Okada’s Hongkong-based firm Universal
Entertainment had sent to Soriano in a series of payments made in the first
half of 2010. Soriano is alleged to have close ties with then PAGCOR Chair
Efraim Genuino.
It further states that Genuino was acknowledged to be the
brain behind the establishment of a gambling strip in Metro Manila “in the mold
of Las Vegas and Macau where Universal Entertainment has allegedly applied to
set up a US%2 billion casino facility.”
The reported Universal payments to Soriano were described at
a company meeting to be “a complete bonus” for his help in clearing remaining
hurdles for the casino, including an exemption from corporate tax and foreign
ownership restrictions – people involved in the project were quoted in the
Philippine Daily Inquirer to have said.
Aumentado said there is a need for the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) to look into the alleged payola, especially the paper
trail, help determine the parties involved and benefited in the apparent bribery
and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act.
He also said there is a need for the House of
Representatives to determine the appropriate legislation to plug the loopholes,
if any, in the laws involved and transactions related to gambling casinos at
the Metro Manila strip for the purpose.
The resolution also provides that the house Committee on
Good Government and Accountability to probe the alleged payola and recommend
the necessary remedial legislations which may be necessary as a consequence of
the inquiry.
It further tasks the National Bureau of investigation (NBI)
to investigate the criminal aspect of the alleged payola.
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