Senate committee calls for suspension of e-sabong ops (Sabong News)
THE Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs will issue a resolution to urge President Rodrigo Duterte to order the suspension of electronic cockfight betting, also known as e-sabong operations, amid the investigation on the disappearance of 31 cockfighting enthusiasts.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson proposed the issuance of the resolution amid a Senate inquiry led by Senator Ronald dela Rosa into the missing sabungeros.
“Para ito sa mga nawawalang kabataan at pwede pang mawawala (This is for those who are missing and who might be missing)," Dela Rosa said.
"So, kung hindi natin ito mahihinto, baka dadami talaga itong problema na ito. Alam ko maraming magagalit sa amin na sabungero kung mahinto itong e-sabong operation... But sana maintindihan n'yo na mas mahalaga ang buhay ng mga tao kaysa sa halaga ng pera na magiging losses ninyo kapag nahinto itong e-sabong. Wala pong katapat na value of money ang buhay ng tao,” he added.
(If we will not stop this, there might be more problems. I know that bettors will be mad at us for stopping the e-sabong, but I hope you will understand that human life is more precious than the losses you will get once the e-sabong is stopped.)
Covered by the resolution will be the Beldevere Vista Corporation, Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc., Visayas Cockers Club Inc., Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies Inc., Newin Cockers Alliance Gaming Corporation, Philippine Cockfighting International Inc., and Golden Buzzer Inc. which were given a license to operate by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
Pagcor acting senior vice president for e-sabong Diane Erica Jogno said they do not see any problem in suspending the operation of e-sabong as long as it is approved by the Office of the President, as its attached agency.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said that currently, there are 31 missing cockfighting enthusiasts who were abducted in Manila, Batangas and Laguna. Some of them have been missing since 2021.
It said they have already identified and interviewed several persons of interest in the incidents.
“Doon sa mga suspect, sino ang gumawa, we just hope na kung buhay pa 'yung mga kinidnap ninyo, itinago ninyo, sana i-release na ninyo para makabalik sa kanilang pamilya. At kung sinamang-palad na ito'y namatay na, sana naman bilang isang Kristiyano, or bilang kung kayo ay hindi Kristiyano, sana tulungan naman ninyo na ma-recover 'yung katawan, 'yung bangkay nu'ng pinatay ninyo kung saan man ninyo ito itinago,” said Dela Rosa.
(To those who perpetrated the crime, we just hope that you release those whom you kidnapped. If the victims have died already, I hope you help their families recover the bodies.)
Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, urged the national police agency to double its effort to resolve the case.
He also asked the relatives of the victims not to be afraid and instead, provide the investigating agencies or his committee any information that will help in the speedy and complete resolution of the case.
