Okada, Cojuangco indicted for grave coercion after May casino hotel takeover

The former board of directors of Okada Manila—now back in control of the luxury casino resort hotel after a three-month interruption by the group of its deposed founder—scored another legal win after the Department of Justice ordered the filing of grave coercion charges against the perpetrators of last May’s takeover.

In a resolution, the state prosecutors endorsed the complaints against Kazuo Okada, Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco and their associates, Dindo Espeleta and Florentino “Binky” Herrera III. If found guilty, they face imprisonment of one to six months.

The three-month change in Okada Manila’s management has since reverted to the former board of directors after gaming regulators and the courts ruled against the move.

The DOJ order stems from several complaints filed against the Okada-Cojuangco group and several of their security personnel who took control of the property based on their interpretation of a status quo ante order of the Supreme Court, which has now been deemed to have gone beyond the high tribunal’s ruling.

In a resolution released last week, the state prosecutors saw merit in the complaint of several officials of Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Inc. who said they were bodily evicted from the premises during the takeover, but dismissed the complaints of kidnapping against the respondents. Copies of the resolution were sent to the counsels of the warring parties, including DivinaLaw as counsels for the complainants, as well as lawyers Raoul Sontillano, Ferdinand Michael Marcos Manotoc and Jefferson Wilfredo Ferrer who were representing the respondents.

Article 286 of the Revised Penal Code defines grave coercion as an act by any person who, without any authority of law, by means of violence, threats or intimidation, prevents another from doing something not prohibited by law, or compels him to do something against his will, whether it be right or wrong.

The prosecutors ruled that the respondents did bodily remove several officials from the rival camp from Okada Manila’s premises, but added that this did not merit charges of kidnapping or serious illegal detention.

The grave coercion charges are set to be filed before the Regional Trial Court of Parañaque City. INQ