ILOILO City – Due to the coronavirus disease pandemic, there will be no physical staging of the famous Candelaria cock derby in Jaro district which is marking its religious and district fiesta today. Traditional cockfighting is prohibited in Alert Level 3 areas such as this city.
But holding online or electronic cockfighting (e-sabong / e-bulang) is allowed, according to the city government’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu.
E-sabong is the online / remote or off-site wagering / betting on live cockfighting matches streamed or broadcasted live from cockpits licensed or authorized by the local government unit having jurisdiction on them.
During last year’s Jaro fiesta, online cockfighting was also allowed, said Conlu.
Annually, prior to the pandemic that started in 2020, those hoping to get rich quick gathered at the Iloilo Coliseum in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro for the famous Candelaria cock derby. The event drew cockfighting enthusiasts from across the country and even abroad.
Cockfighting is a sport of pitting gamecocks to fight. The placing of bets on live cockfighting is an established tradition that dates as early as 3,000 years ago. In 1974, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 449 or the Cockfighting Law of 1974 which provides regulatory policies on cockfighting.
According to Conlu, a team has been organized to monitor the Iloilo Coliseum for possible violation of the prohibition on traditional cockfighting.
Regulation of live cockfighting in cockpit arenas is regulated by local government units concerned while e-sabong e-bulang is regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
Iloilo City’s Alert Level 3 status has been extended up to Feb. 15 by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID). The city government is hoping for a lower level.
The taskforce permitted the operation of cockpits and the resumption of traditional cockfighting only in areas under Alert Level 2, but still subject to the discretion of the local government units (LGUs).
It has set specific protocols for operators to ensure the safety of those who will go to cockpits:
* Maximum of 50-percent venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals
* On-site workers/employees of these establishments must be fully COVID-19 immunized
* Cashless betting and use of technology-based platforms
* Minimum public health standards and technology-based betting shall be strictly enforced by the LGU where traditional cockfighting will be conducted, and monitored by the Department of the Interior and Local Government
LGUs are tasked to shut down cockpits if operators failed to comply with the health protocols./PN
