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Travellers chair urges govt to lift suspension


Travellers International Hotel Group chairman David Chua Ming Huat is asking the government for permission to resume operations after its license was suspended following the casino attack at Resorts World Manila on June 2.

On June 9, Resorts World was ordered to "cease and desist all gaming operations pending investigation and final determination by PAGCOR of RWM's liability," according to a statement on the Pagcor website.

The regulator said the suspension will remain until RWM rectifies its serious security lapses and deficiencies.

Chua on Wednesday assured the public that there would not be a repeat of the incident.

“This [RWM incident] is a tragic wake up call not just for us. We hope that through the assistance of Congress and other government agencies, we can start the painful and difficult task of rebuilding as it is also our task to take care of our 6,000 personnel,” said Chua at the House of Representatives inquiry on Wednesday.

Chua asked lawmakers to consider RWM’s contribution to the country, including his $1.3 billion investment in RWM, the investment for Resorts World Westside City, upcoming hotel rooms in the pipeline, and P40 billion (US$794.6 million) in license fees and other taxes, 25,000 direct and indirect jobs created, and investment in the construction of schools, computer laboratories and barracks for the Philippine Military Academy.

Chua also expressed sympathy for the families of the victims who died in the attack.

“Allow me to express our deepest sympathies to the families of those who perished and were injured. I would like to assure you that the safety and security are key priorities of Resorts World Manila, an international brand owned by global conglomerates and benchmarked against international standards,” said Chua.

“As such, we will never compromise safety and security because it will impact on our stakeholders.”

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