ILOILO City – Anyone betting in spider fighting commits illegal gambling and will thus be arrested and charged, police in Western Visayas warned after 18 people were caught engaging in a so-called “spider derby” in the municipality of Leganes in Iloilo province.
Officers of the Leganes police station arrested the suspects, some of whom came from as far as Bacolod, Cebu and Mandaue cities.
But they missed the man they described as the “promoter” of what appeared like an “organized” five-spider derby.
Police swooped down on the house of Renato Quidato in Barangay Lapayon, Leganes and seized 14 boxes of varied sizes, some of which contained spiders, two digital weighing scales, sticks, and a table, a spot report showed.
Eighteen people were caught betting and soliciting bets, the Leganes police said. They were:
* Donald Diangson Ladigohan, 41, Jirom Casipie Margarico, 45, and Ryan Mesedilla Almeria, 27, of Barangay Poblacion Ilawod, Lambunao, Iloilo
* Arnold Papilitan Camangon, 41, of Barangay Poblacion, Leon, Iloilo
* Will Kim Delos Santos Laña, 32, and Rey Oliver Himatay Dalisay, 22, of Barangay Punong-Lapuz, Lapuz, Iloilo City
* Caryle Demafiles, 40, of Molo, Iloilo City
* Berto Asarce Armeza, 42, and Arnold Amaller, 39, of Barangay Rizal-Ibarra, Iloilo City
* Joebert Dacudao Buncad, 45, of Barangay Concordia Sur, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras
* James Cañete Montoya, 26, Barangay 10, Bacolod City
* Mark Palma Locsin, 20, and Sam Decavera Deleon, 46, of Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City
* Ross Sombiro Hortillosa, 32, of San Sebastian Street, Bacolod City
* Jan Mark Sarmiento Ybaniez, 26, of Cebu City
* Jayward Itocas Lao, 33, of Mandaue City
* Arvy Macoy Cabahug, 32, of Barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City
* Junie Cabahug Ceniza, 33, of Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City
Quidato eluded the police who raided his house at around 4:40 p.m. last Thursday. He remained at large as of this writing.
Charges for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 have been filed against the house owner and those arrested before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office last Friday.
PD 1602 prescribes stiffer penalties on illegal gambling.
“We are warning those who organize spider derbies, or spider fighting with bets. They will be held liable under PD 1602,” said Superintendent Joem Malong, Police Regional Office 6 spokeswoman.
Spider fighting (pahibag damang) is a popular blood sport among rural Filipinos.
The game begins by placing two spiders at opposite ends of a stick. The spiders are then prodded to move along the length of the stick until they encounter each other and fight.
But others have turned spider fighting into gambling. They would place bets on their favored spiders.
Senior Inspector Dadjie Delima, Leganes police chief, said they recovered close to P50,000 in cash, which included bet money and cash in the possession of the suspects.
Prior to the operation in Barangay Lapayon, Delima said information reached them that spider fighting happened in Barangay Calaboa, too, with bets ranging from P1,000 to P10,000.
The latest operation uncovered what appeared like “an organized tournament, like a cock derby,” said Delima.
All 18 arrested suspects were detained at the Leganes police station.
Under PD 1602, anyone “who in any manner, shall directly or indirectly take part in any illegal or unauthorized activities or games … whether upon chance or skill, wherein wagers consisting of money, articles of value or representative of value are at stake or made,” shall be penalized with fines or imprisonment. (With a report from Ian Paul Cordero/PN)
This is a ridiculous waste of time and money, using police forces to go after Spider Gamblers, especially in light of other more serious crimes being committed like tandem-rider assasinations. But yet it is okay to bet on cockfights, which is much more inhumane than letting two spiders go at it. This would be almost laughable if it were not so stupid!