Longtime anti-gambling advocate and House Deputy Speaker Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. has called for an inquiry into online cockfighting––popularly known as e-sabong––and other forms of internet gambling, and in a privilege speech on Wednesday evening questioned the legality of e-sabong operations that gross as much as 1.8 billion pesos in bets per day.
According to the lawmaker, online sabong is conducted every day, despite a provision in Presidential Decree 449 or the Cockfighting Law of 1974––which regulates cockfighting in the country––that states that “cockfighting shall be allowed only in licensed cockpits during Sundays and legal holidays and during local fiestas for not more than three days.”
Abante revealed that in one day, each e-sabong company held as many as 350 “sultas” or cockfights each day, with bettors required to bet a minimum of P100 per fight. The minimum gross bets for a single sulta, said Abante, reaches P5 million.
An alarmed Abante pointed out: “Alam po ba ninyo na araw-araw ngayon ang sabong sa mga websites na ito?”
“Araw-araw ang sabong ngayon sa Pilipinas. Ang masakit pa nito, kahit mahal na araw o Holy Week––kahit Biernes Santo sagrado; kahit ngayong pandemic; kahit bawal ang sabong dahil sa ECQ o MECQ o GCQ––tuloy pa din ang online sabong.”
The legislator also questioned how the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) could issue licenses to three companies to conduct online sabong when Section 6 of PD 449 states that “city and municipal mayors are authorized to issue licenses for the operation and maintenance of cockpits.”
“Sa ilalim ng batas, local government units lamang ang may kapangyarihan na magbigay ng lisensya sa mga sabungan at sabong sa Pilipinas. Batas po ito, Mr. Speaker. Sa pagkakaintindi ko, batas lamang din ang puwedeng magbago ng naunang batas. At tayo sa Kongreso ang dapat gumagawa ng batas na ‘yan, kung ‘di po ako nagkakamali,” stressed Abante.
“Kaya nais kong malaman kung sino ang nagpayo sa PAGCOR na may kapangyarihan silang mag bigay ng lisensya sa online sabong, Mr. Speaker. Gusto ko rin malaman, anong batas ang pinagbatayan ng PAGCOR ng kapangyarihang ito. Para bang tulad ng sinabi ko noon, na ang PAGCOR yata ay may sarili nang gobyerno.”
Abante revealed that in one day, each e-sabong company held as many as 350 “sultas” or cockfights each day, with bettors required to bet a minimum of P100 per fight. The minimum gross bets for a single sulta, said Abante, reaches P5 million.
“If cockfighting has evolved because of technology, then the law that regulates it must evolve and adapt as well.”
Since a cockfight lasts around five minutes, there could be as many as 12 cockfights per hour, so a minimum 60 million pesos in bets are made per hour.
In one day, explained Abante, online sabong lasts for ten hours, so each of the three licensed e-sabong operators handles 600 million pesos of bets per day, or 1.8 billion pesos collectively.
Because of these issues, he urged the House to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation “upang malaman natin kung kailangan na nating amyendahan o palitan nang tuluyan ang PD 449.”
“If cockfighting has evolved because of technology, then the law that regulates it must evolve and adapt as well.”
Aside from e-sabong, the legislator also said the House needs to take a closer look at other forms of internet gambling like online bingo and virtual casinos given the challenges involved in regulating these online vices.