Jack Lam to surrender to PH authorities

Jack Lam

Gaming tycoon Jack Lam will surrender himself to the authorities, following Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for his arrest on charges of bribery and economic sabotage.

President Duterte said Thursday that Lam – the head of Jimei International, who operates Fontana Leisure Park and Casino in Clark, Pampanga – could resume his gaming operations on condition that he pay back tax on the illegal operations.

The condition also included that Lam renegotiates his contract with the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), under which he remitted only one percent of his revenue to the government rather than the 10 percent paid by other casino operators, according to Philippine media reports.

The president said Lam has sent out preliminary notices of surrender to the authorities.

“Jack Lam has sent [out] feelers that he would like to come back. One, because he takes pity on the 6,000-plus Filipinos who (work for him)… Second, is that he will settle his obligations,” Duterte told reporters, as cited by The Philippine Star.

“Because he has offered to come back, pay his tax, liabilities, whatever it is, I said – on the condition that he lets go of [the] original contract that lets him enjoy only one percent – it should be uniform to all. Just pay taxes, don’t bribe anybody,” the president added.

Lam first came to the authorities’ attention when he allegedly tried to bribe the Philippines’ Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Pagcor chair Andrea Domingo on separate occasions.

Aguirre claimed the bribe offered was PHP100 million a month.

The bribe was to facilitate the release of 1,316 Chinese nationals who were illegally working in Lam’s casino resort in Clark, and were nabbed over their alleged involvement in an illegal online gambling operation on November 24.

Pagcor temporarily shut down all Jimei-run gaming areas in Fontana, Clark Freeport and its affiliated establishments in Fort Ilocandia, Laoag after Lam fled the country on November 29. This was four days before Duterte ordered his arrest.

The Bureau of Immigration has downgraded Lam’s investor visa to a temporary visitor visa after he was caught. Yet the Justice Secretary wants the fugitive gambling operator to be slapped with a higher penalty, stating that he should be “blacklisted instead for the continuing crime of economic sabotage and attempting to bribe a public official.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the Chinese embassy in the Philippines is “ready to provide consular assistance to the involved Chinese citizen within its capacity.”

A local report also stated that the territory’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), had unsuccessfully tried to contact Lam.

In an email to GGRAsia, DICJ said it had contacted Lam immediately after his arrest order was broadcasted, to no avail. Lam’s representing lawyer has also been unable to contact him.  LV