The House Committee on Games and Amusement approved the Committee Report on House Bill (HB) 9996 which seeks to prohibit any activity related to online cockfighting.
The committee recognized that prohibiting online cockfighting, more commonly known as e-sabong, will not be an easy task. In 2022, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) 9 directing the continued suspension of e-sabong operations nationwide.
Despite the EO, Committee chair and Cavite Representative Antonio Ferrer noted that e-sabong continues, albeit on a smaller but more clandestine scale.
Ferrer considers the issue as rooted in culture.
“Sabong is an integral part of Philippines culture.”
“Sabong is an integral part of Philippines culture. It provides entertainment and a chance for profit,” the veteran legislator noted.
The seasoned lawmaker also mentioned that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) does not have police powers such that the agency has to coordinate with other government agencies to regulate e-sabong.
Leyte Representative Richard Gomez said e-sabong persists partly because some of the e-sabong sites are owned by influential people.
Gomez added that the online nature of the banned practice makes regulation even harder.
“Even if the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) forcibly disables (e-sabong) websites, operators will simply find another domain and server to relaunch their illegal online sabong betting site,” the lawmaker noted.
He recalled PAGCOR chief Alejandro Tengco’s admission in a Senate Hearing that some 2,000 e-sabong sites are still operating in the country. He identified telecommunication companies and artificial intelligence (AI) playing a big role in effectively shutting down e-sabong operations, underscoring the practice’s social costs.
“Ang sa akin lang ‘pag sabong lalo na pag iligal sabong nakakasira ng buhay ng tao,” Gomez said.
“’Yung mga bata, inuubos nila pera nila. Nagkakautang sila.”
Camarines Sur Representative Arnie Fuentebella agreed, “The social cost is too high. Yung mga bata, inuubos nila pera nila. Nagkakautang sila… Dahil ang online e-sabong po talaga ay nagpapahirap sa mga mamamayang Pilipino, lalo na po wala pong regulation ito. Kahit mga bata, pwede pumusta. OFWs, pumupusta lang at nauubos ang pinapadala sa ating mga kababayan dito sa Pilipinas.”
Fuentebella suggested that police visit cockpits and confiscate cameras that are being used for livestreaming the games.
Online cockfighting has been floated as a way to generate revenues that the government lost following Marcos’ order to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country.
