Panel report on ‘e-sabong’ probe sponsored in the Senate (Sabong News)

The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Tuesday reported to the plenary its committee report on the investigation on the rising number of missing persons allegedly involved in online and offline cockfight betting and related incidents. Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and chair of the committee, said the panel came up wit 14 recommendations including a directive for police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the officers, personnel and employees of Lucky 8 Star Quest, Inc., including gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang since the disappearances of the cockfighting enthusiasts happened in the arenas which he operates. Dela Rosa’s panel also made recommendations for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to prevent minors from accessing electronic gambling platforms and for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR0 to imemdiately collect taxes due from e-sabong operators. “These recommendations provided in the committee report were formulated for the purpose of achieving the greater good and to prevent the devastation that already touched many families,” Dela Rosa said during his sponsorship of Committee Report No. 646. “I urge the body to support and adopt the recommendations on this committee report and its immediate implementation to make our communities safe and families stronger,” he said. The panel also made recommendations for 1. Money Transfer Facilities to ensure that minors will not be able to use their facilities for gambling purposes. The committee recommend the strict implementation of Know-Your-Costumer (KYC) policy not only during registration stage but as well as usage and management of account; 2. For all LGUs, to suspend business permits of cockpit arenas found to non-compliant with their existing ordinances on the mandatory requirement of installation of CCTV cameras; 3. For the PNP and NBI, to continue investigating all reported cases of missing persons in relation to e-sabong activities until they are finally resolved; 4. For the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and PNP, to continue to monitor and stop any possible illegal and unauthorized conduct of e-sabong operations while the directive of President Duterte to halt the operations of e-sabong is still in effect; 5. For the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide assistance, whether in the form of financial aid or otherwise, to the family and relatives of the missing sabongeros and help them cope with their existing crisis situation; 6. For the Department of Education (DepEd), to incorporate in the curriculum of schools, through Republic Act No. 11476, otherwise known as the “GMRC and Values Education Act,” a discussion on the perils of gambling and its nature as a social ill. The committee report also sought legislative action for possible appropriate amendments to Presidential Decree No. 449 or the “Cockfighting Law of 1974” by mandating safety measures on the establishment, operations and maintenance of cockpits, and impose stricter regulations including strict monitoring in the conduct of cockfighting activities within the jurisdiction of the concerned local government unit.