ILOILO City – The punong barangay of Don Esteban, Lapuz here is nowhere to be found after the controversial cockfighting in his barangay was exposed.
Members of the media tried to reach out to Barangay Captain Elfren Cenayo to get his side about the prohibited cockfighting activity in his jurisdiction but to no avail.
“Bal-an mo may ara man kapitan nga talaw,” said Liga ng mga Barangay president Irene Ong in an interview with Panay News.
Ong described Cenayo as a neophyte village chief.
He was a former barangay councilman who assumed the barangay council’s top post after then punong barangay Rodrigo Dellomes resigned for conflict of interest.
Dellomes owned the controversial Rockwell Cockpit Arena.
Ong said Cenayo has not coordinated with him regarding the cock derby
The City Council ex-officio member said he will leave to the discretionary authority of Mayor Jerry Treñas or the Department of Interior and Local Government on the possible liability of Cenayo.
Cockfighting activities and cockpit operations are prohibited from March 21 to April 4 pursuant to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) advisory dated March 18.
Aside from the DTI, the Inter-Agency Task Force consequently issued Resolution No. 104 similarly prescribing the temporary suspension of cockfighting and cockpit operations.
Treñas also issued the same advisory.
Meanwhile, City Councilor Carlos “Jojo” Javellana, who chairs the city council committee on games and amusement, said they will act depending on the recommendation or directive of the city mayor, citing their legislative function.
“Kon may gin bayolar gid man ti wala kita mahimo. Law is law,” said Javellana.
Treñas issued a show-cause order to Dellomes directing him to “provide a written explanation” for his noncompliance of the said issuances.
In the show-cause order, the city mayor stressed that the city government has sent a letter reply reiterating the said suspension in response to Dellomes’ request of a special permit to hold an online sabong on March 22.
“Notwithstanding, it has come to my knowledge that despite all these issuances and prohibitions, your establishment continued to conduct cockfighting activities as evidenced by the livestream of the same which took place at midnight yesterday, 12 a.m. of March 23,” Treñas told Dellomes.
Meanwhile, Panay News also tried to reach DILG-Iloilo City director Oscar Lim Jr. about the possible liability of Cenayo but he has yet to respond.
Treñas, on the other hand, said he will refer it to the City Legal Office./PN
