IF not for the fact that at least 31 sabong (cockfight) aficionados are missing with CCTV footage tending to show that several of them had been kidnapped — thus highlighting certain evils that this traditional gambling activity brings — authorities would not have looked into the legal basis for the current proliferation of e-sabong.
Just as in other government regulatory failings, it is the Senate that took the initiative to conduct inquiries into the operation of cockfight arenas, a business that benefited most from the pandemic-era transition from the face-to-face to the digital economy. Gone are the days when you have to endure heavy traffic to personally go to the sabungan (cockpit), sweat it out in chaotic and noisy ruwedas, place bets just by hand signals, and collect and pay in cash or check. No, all it takes is to open an account with any of the e-sabong operators, and you can gamble your life’s savings away.
The case of 31 missing sabungeros has baffled the police, with the CIDG chief guessing that the victims were involved in cheating by entering “tyope” (lame) birds as contestants and betting on their rivals.
‘This issue on authority over e-sabong licenses should be resolved, but first, the temporary suspension of e-sabong operations throughout the country as proposed by the Senate should be observed.’
In the first Senate hearing, the committee on public order and security urged the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to suspend all seven “e-sabong” licenses it had issued until the cases of disappearance have been solved. Senate President Vicente Sotto III moved for the passage of a “strongly worded” resolution following testimonies by an initial set of family members of the abducted individuals.
The Senate panel established that there are eight cases of abduction of 31 people, which happened from April 2021 to January this year. The Senate wants PAGCOR to suspend the e-sabong licenses issued to Belvedere Vista Corp., Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc., Visayas Cockers Club Inc., Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies Inc., Newin Cockers Alliance Gaming Corp., Philippine Cockfighting International Inc., and Golden Buzzer Inc.
One of the more important items uncovered in the Senate inquiry was pointed out by Sen. Francis Tolentino who said there is no provision under Republic Act 9487 or the revised PAGCOR charter that the country’s gambling regulatory body has any legal jurisdiction to issue any license to e-sabong operators to operate, including PAGCOR’s regulatory framework for online cockfights and the supposed creation of an e-sabong licensing department.
A PAGCOR official admitted to the senators that their authority to grant e-sabong licenses is based on separate legal opinions of the Office of the Solicitor General, the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Executive Secretary, which Senator Tolentino found questionable. Tolentino said PAGCOR overstepped its authority by extending the power to themselves and interpreting the scope of such power. Tolentino also sought to discourage online betting by advocating for the suspension of the use of GCash and PayMaya in the placing of bets in e-sabong.
Sen. Joel Villanueva supported Tolentino, adding that being one of the principal authors of RA 9487 in the House during the 13th Congress, he noted that the law is very clear on Section 10, in which the nature and terms of PAGCOR’s authority shall not extend to licenses to other games like cockfighting.
This issue on authority over e-sabong licenses should be resolved, but first, the temporary suspension of e-sabong operations throughout the country as proposed by the Senate should be observed.
