Setting The Record Straight
November 12, 2007
Today, a couple of minor newspaper publications carried an article called “NGO scores illegal casino operation in Pasig City.” Aimed at The Metro Card Club, the clearly uninformed article stated that the Club is operating illegally, and the NGO states that “the casino operates discreetly and presumes it has no authorization from the city government or the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).”
We can assure everyone of our members that The Metro Card Club is a perfectly legal operation, under PAGCOR, and has all the permits and documentation to prove it’s legality. Inside the facility, there are two very big framed PAGCOR logos. Inside the cashier, there are the necessary permits and licenses from the city government on the wall for everyone to see. Our website itself has PAGCOR logos in every page. Also, there is a PAGCOR representative present everyday at the Club, as stipulated in our memorandum of agreement with PAGCOR.
We can also assure the “Concerned Residents of Pasig” which is the NGO involved, that our organization is NOT a Casino. We are a poker club, and Poker is the only game played inside The Metro Card Club. In fact, if you go and read about one of our recent events, we recently raised P180,000+ for a Pasig-based charity called the POWER Foundation, an NGO which helps out abused women and children of Pasig.
Harsh and baseless accusations of alleged “drug dealing” inside the card room have also been made, clearly indicating that the sources of these articles have no idea what they are talking about. If anything, it points to a smear campaign against a perfectly legal operation by individuals with an agenda more sinister than being “concerned residents”.
We sincerely hope this helps clarify the situation. Again, The Metro Card Club is a poker club operating under the authority of PAGCOR. Our organization aims to promote the skill game of poker, and provide a safe and legal venue for poker players to enjoy the game outside a casino environment. We are also a socially conscious organization, hosting events for charitable institutions regularly throughout the year. To the local governments credit, Pasig City has no illegal poker rooms, although nearby areas have been known to harbor illegal poker rooms protected by high profile individuals.
To all our members, we sincerely ask for your support on this matter. Write a comment, send a shoutout, and show your support. Let’s protect our card room, because that is what it is, OUR very own card room for poker players and by poker players.
Peace!
I read the badly written articles and was shocked and amused at the same time, shocked because of the crazy and baseless allegations and amused because these people clearly do not know what the hell they’re talking about. This is pretty clear cut – these yahoos have an agenda and its to discredit the best thing that ever happened to the Metrowalk. The Metro card club provides jobs. The nearby “tenants” that serve good food arent complaining. Card club patrons always order food from these establishments (dont wanna name em, but we all know that they make lots of extra cash because of card room players). So lets cut the BS. Go to the card room and see for yourself. And to the people behind the articles, i have two words for you: YOU’RE NUTS.
Such a lousy and baseless reporting. I have been in th METRO card club a few times and its all good experience for me.
FIRST of all i will never go to the METRO if it isnt legal and sactioned by PAGCOR.
SECOND its not a casino , its a poker room.There is no other game but poker.
THIRD there is no DRUGS being peddle in the METRO. The only addicting item is the ICED TEA and may I say ITS FREE.. LOL
And may I suggest for you guys to ask them for a retraction…
More power to the METRO.. Please dont let this baseless accusation stop you from giving us excellent experience while inside THE METRO card club.
Sorry “enterprising” journalists – no early christmas for you guys… can you say “libel?”
can’t believe the paper’s editor let this run without double checking – ALL documents are public and can obtained by going to the appropriate gov’t agency!
Was it a slow news day? You guys were even in the front page (with a picture stolen from your website, no less).
Such baseless accusations! They’re obviously trying to rile up the public about the good ol’ Metro using words like drugs,gambling, illegal operations, etc.
Quoting from the stupid article: “Sources, mostly concerned Metrowalk tenants, said the casino has been operating for more than two months now and has been steadily attracting predominantly young clients or “yuppies” from offices and subdivisions in and around the Ortigas district.”
Well, if by yuppies they mean the dictionary definition, “young urban professionals or independent, financially secure individuals”, tenants in Metrowalk should be pleased. They should be getting more business, not less.
WoW. I have to say Metrocardclub is THE venue for my sport – Poker. I love it. Stop BLUFFING on It maniacs. I guess the whole article thing is a joke. Keep the FIRE burning METRO.