ILOILO City – No illegal online cockfighting or e-sabong operators and financiers exist in Western Visayas.
“I instructed my intelligence personnel to monitor if there are groups illegally operating online sabong or other forms of gambling. Sa ngayon wala akong natanggap na report na nagpapatakbo ng e-sabong (Currently, I am yet to receive reports about operators of online cockfighting here),” Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) acting director Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor said.
“Whether you are a civilian or a police, you will be placed behind bars once caught engaging in e-sabong,” the acting director added in Hiligaynon.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s Regulatory Framework for Electronic Sabong defines e-sabong as “an online, remote, or off-site wagering or betting on live cockfighting matches, events, and/or activities streamed or broadcasted live from cockpit arenas licensed or authorized by local government units having jurisdiction thereof.”
Earlier this year, the Philippine National Police recommended the inclusion of e-sabong in the list of illegal gambling activities penalized under Presidential Decree No. 1602, which serves as the country’s anti-illegal gambling law./PN