With 34 cockfight enthusiasts or “sabungeros” remain missing, a House leader has filed a resolution urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to immediately stop the operations of online cockfighting or “e-sabong.”
In House Resolution No. (HR) 2512, Deputy Speaker Benny Abante said PAGCOR is being urged “to immediately suspend e-sabong operations until concrete measures can be put in place to guarantee the safety of e-sabong personnel and participants.”
HR 2512 points out that consequently, “in light of the many concerns raised regarding the conduct of online cockfighting operations, 23 senators signed a resolution urging PAGCOR to suspend the e-sabong licenses of the seven e-sabong operators pending the resolution of the missing sabungeros or cockfighters.”
The resolution states that “since April 2021, a total of 31 cockfighters or sabungeros have been reported missing, none of whom have surfaced or have been found by law enforcement authorities.”
In a recent Senate hearing, however, the Philippine National Police confirmed that three additional persons involved in e-sabong have been reported missing, bringing to 34 the total number of online cockfighting personnel that have disappeared since last year.
As a result of the disappearances, an inquiry into the disappearance of the e-sabong personnel was conducted by the Senate and, according to the Abante resolution, “unearthed various issues with regard to e-sabong, including the questionable legal bases for online cockfighting, allegations of game-fixing to benefit big-time bettors, and the dangers posed by online gambling.”
HR 2512 points out that consequently, “in light of the many concerns raised regarding the conduct of online cockfighting operations, 23 senators signed a resolution urging PAGCOR to suspend the e-sabong licenses of the seven e-sabong operators pending the resolution of the missing sabungeros or cockfighters.”
The Manila 6th District representative stressed in the resolution that PAGCOR can already suspend e-sabong operations as it is mandated under its Charter “to regulate, operate, authorize and license games of chance, games of cards and games of numbers, including e-sabong.”
There are currently seven companies that are licensed to conduct e-sabong operations. These are: (1) Belvedere Vista Corporation; (2) Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc.; (3) Visayas Cockers Club, Inc.; (4) Jade Entertainment And Gaming Technologies, Inc.; (5) Newin Cockers Alliance Gaming Corporation; (6) Philippine Cockfighting International Inc.; and (7) Golden Buzzer, Inc.
