Senate leaders press full-blown probe into ‘disappearance’ of cockfight bettors (Sabong News)

The Senate leadership affirmed Friday full support for the initiative of first-term Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa to conduct a full-blown inquiry into the reported mysterious disappearance of 29 cockfighting aficionados. This developed as Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) late Thursday to investigate the case of the missing “sabungeros.” Guevarra directed NBI Officer in Charge Eric Distor to look into “and if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate charges against all persons involved and found responsible.” Senate President Tito Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson assured in separate news statements they are backing a Senate probe set to be spearheaded by de la Rosa who, like Lacson, was a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief. The Lacson-Sotto presidential tandem running under the Partido Reporma ticket vowed to take a break from their campaign sorties, giving priority to ensure justice for the missing cockfighting enthusiasts.   De la Rosa, now presiding over the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, like Lacson who was a former PNP chief before him, is expected to convene an initial hearing anytime soon.  In their regular “Meet the Press” conference on Thursday, the Lacson-Sotto tandem said the “sabong” enthusiasts should be found right away because their lives were at stake. Some family members had already approached the long-time public servants for help in finding the “sabungeros,” who were first reported missing January 14. “So,  ako , hindi na kasi ako ‘yung  chairman ng public order and illegal drugs  sa  Senate.  Kung ako ‘yung  chairman, I think we should call for a Senate inquiry,  kasi medyo malala na talaga ,” Lacson said. (I am no longer the chairman of the Senate public order and illegal drugs [committee]. If I were still the chairman, I think we should call for a Senate inquiry because it has gotten out of hand.) Sotto said they received information that some of the relatives of the missing persons wanted to divulge something about the e-sabong (electronic or internet cockfighting operation). “So, we’ll find ways to be able to talk to them and if necessary, if none of the members of the Senate presently are not interested, we can always ask the chairman of the Committee on Games to conduct an investigation or hearing from that,” Sotto, the vice presidential candidate added. Earlier, the veteran senators had previously vowed to pass laws to regulate e-sabong owing to the social problems the gambling system was creating, especially among overseas Filipino workers and the youth who are reportedly getting addicted to it. Senatorial aspirant Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol, who was also at the news conference alongside Partido Reporma’s other Senate bets, reminded online cockfighting could be worse than drug addiction. When he was still Secretary of Agriculture, Piñol said, he proposed that the game fowl industry be considered as an agricultural activity. “Because really, a lot of people earn from cockfighting—the corn farmers, the (poultry) feeds used, that all comes from agriculture. Even those who take care of the roosters, hundreds of thousands actually benefit from cockfighting,” said Piñol, also former chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority, adding, “However, we have to differentiate an industry from gambling.” Close to 30 individuals have reportedly gone missing in groups in separate incidents since last month. On January 28, Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has started investigating the disappearance of the cockfight enthusiasts. The CIDG, he said, is particularly investigating the case of 10 men who disappeared shortly after being seen in separate cockfighting areas in Laguna and Manila on January 13. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the arena showed that the vehicle used by the victims was seen exiting the coliseum in Sta. Cruz, Laguna but it was not clear if the victims were inside the vehicle. On the same day, another six men went missing after participating in a cockfighting tournament in Manila. Earlier, another 10 men from Bulacan who attended a cockfighting match were added to the list of missing individuals. These men, according to their relatives, have been missing for more than eight months. With PNA  Image credits: