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President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he banned casino operations in Boracay in Malay, Aklan because it is what the residents want.

"Because the survey of the people here in Boracay showed that they do not want gambling. So the voice of the people is the voice of God," Duterte told reporters after the awarding of certificates of land to the farmers in Boracay and nearby areas.

So if the people in Boracay did not want casinos, "then there will be no casino," he added.

But Duterte said he does not need to issue any written order banning casino operations in Boracay.

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat earlier said three existing casinos in Boracay were not granted permits to continue operating.

Duterte said crimes committed in the casino, such as kidnapping, happen whenever a client could not pay anymore. Celerina Monte/DMS