Stanley Ho is clean, PNP tells House committee

As far as the Philippine National Police (PNP) is concerned, Macau gambling mogul Stanley Ho is "Mr. Clean."

The PNP Center for Transnational Crime told the House committee on public order and security yesterday that it has "nothing incriminating" on Ho, who has a number of business concerns in the country.

What the center submitted to the committee chaired by Rep. Roilo Golez (LAMP, Parañaque) was a list of seven companies operating here in which Ho has investments.

The companies are Cosco (China Ocean Shipping Co.), Norinco, a gun manufacturer, New World Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Kuok Properties, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, and BW Resources Corp.

BW is the controversial gaming firm that is under investigation for alleged stock manipulation. Ho is BW chairman.

The Macau gambling tycoon had earlier been linked to a crime syndicate involved in illegal drugs. His business partners here have denied he is into unlawful activities.

He has also been linked to a 1996 election campaign finance scandal in the United States.

Rep. Hernani Braganza (Lakas, Pangasinan) claimed that Ho is wanted by US authorities for illegal campaign contributions.

Last Tuesday, Golez released a US Department of Justice document showing that in February 1988, Ho was on the American government's watch list of persons involved in organized crime.

In a related development, Isabela Rep. Heherson Alvarez, who is Lakas secretary general, warned the nation yesterday that Ho could eventually take over gambling operations in the country.

"We should not be too sanguine as to believe that Mr. Ho will content himself with operating a floating restaurant. This initiative is in itself a floater, with Ho possibly positioning for a bigger deal, which is to take over a monopoly involving all gambling activities in the country," he said.

"Mr. Ho can only be polishing his Trojan horse in a bid to wrest full control of lucrative gambling operations," he said.

He noted that the gambling tycoon's BW Resources, which operates on-line bingo, has been allowed to go into a variation called bingo domino which opposition congressman claim is no different from jueteng, a highly popular but illegal numbers game.

The Lakas leader reminded President Estrada that in one of his first policy statements, the Chief Executive revealed plans to sell the government's monopoly on gambling.

In the wake of Ho's entry into gambling activities here, Alvarez said the President should now clarify his position on gambling and "deal with the public with more transparency so that the people can make the appropriate democratic judgment on whether this windfall mentality is acceptable."