In the sun-bathed halls of Okada Manila, the majestic gem of Philippines’ Entertainment City, shimmering lights once again celebrate the resolution of a high-stakes drama that has captivated the world of opulence and gaming. The gavel has echoed through the opulent corridors as the Philippines Supreme Court has drawn the final curtain on the tempestuous legal battle, unequivocally resolving the precarious question of rightful ownership.
The magisterial saga involved the casino’s illustrious founder, Kazuo Okada, whose name is etched into the very fabric of modern Asian entertainment empires. Assisted by the arm of law enforcement, the corporate executives of parent company, Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, reclaimed the reins of the sprawling $2.4 billion resort on September 2, 2022, marking the end of a period of uncertainty that had gripped its polished marble floors.
With the turn of this month, clarity emerged from the halls of justice as the Supreme Court dismantled the Status Quo Ante Order, a legal construct which had temporarily restored the governance landscape to its 2017 vista — a time when Okada himself graced the board of his creation. This decisive move followed the tycoon’s audacious legal challenge against the corporate titans of Universal Entertainment, a powerhouse from Tokyo tasked with the orchestration of Okada Manila, and its guiding entity, TRLEI.
The unraveling of this corporate tapestry began with poignant familial discord, as Okada’s progeny, Tomohiro and Takako, ascendants to the largest share through the windfalls of inheritance, turned the tide against him amid whispers of fiduciary missteps. Kazuo Okada stood accused of siphoning the coffers woven into the business for matters personal, a charge echoed by the strained threads in the family bond post-2016.
Utilizing the tentacles of the SQAO, Okada had previously orchestrated a daring maneuver to seize the governance of Okada Manila in a dramatic incursion. This audacious gambit gave him dominion of the resort for a transient three-month period, until the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation intervened, mandating a restoration of order, returning the crown to Universal and TRLEI.
The chroniclers at Universal have disclosed the decisive reversal of the SQAO by the Philippines Supreme Court on November 13. Ruling with the wisdom of Solomon, the high court pronounced that Kazuo Okada’s dethronement as shareholder, director, chairperson, and CEO of TRLEI was a just verdict, eschewing his claims as the overlord of the parent entity, Okada Holdings Limited. The court lent its weight to foreign judgments from Japanese and Hong Kong courts that cast Tomohiro Okada as the sovereign shareholder, an edict recognized and upheld within the Philippine realm.
Universal’s emissaries heralded the lift of the SQAO as the conclusion to this storied litigation, a resolution that comes not without its toll — TRLEI alleges a plunder of at least PHP500 million (US$9 million) from its treasury during its time obscured from governance. Moreover, this boardroom clash thwarted a merger maneuver by the astute US businessman Jason Ader, stalling his corporate cavalry charge of a reverse takeover via his uniquely forged special purpose acquisition company, 26 Capital.
Consequently, for the once untouchable patriarch Kazuo Okada, the future tolls with uncertainty. In a further twist, the revered founder faced the ignominy of arrest this past summer, with charges of “grave coercion” shadowing his orchestrated takeover. His plea of innocence echoes in the ongoing criminal case, wherein his counsel keenly seeks dismissal, challenging the Philippines Department of Justice to retreat.
As this chapter closes in the annals of Okada Manila, the glittering icon stands ready to once again bask in the glory of resolved ownership, a palace of pleasure and poise restored to its intended stewards, ready to write its next grand saga under the azure Philippine sky.
