Malacañang announced on Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte has not yet issued an order to stop the operation of electronic/online sabong (e-sabong).
Presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles made the statement a day after Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Duterte allegedly agreed to suspend the e-sabong operation following the disappearance of 31 sabungeros.
Sotto based his announcement on a conversation he had with Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a known ally of Duterte.
“Procedurally, a Senate resolution needs to be sent to PAGCOR. Then PAGCOR [should be the one] to advise the Office of the President with regard to that,” Nograles explained regarding the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“The Resolution [has] yet to reach the PAGCOR or the OP,” he added.
Earlier, the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee headed by Dela Rosa approved a resolution to ask PAGCOR to suspend the issuance of licenses for online cockfighting operations.
In a separate interview with Super Radyo dzBB, dela Rosa said the senate plans to transfer to Congress the power to license e-cockfighting, which he called addictive.
“‘Yun nga ‘yung pinag-uusapan namin na kung puwedeng tanggaling sa PAGCOR ‘yung power to issue licenses at ito ay hahawakan na ng Kongreso through legislative franchise,” the senator said.
No order from Duterte yet on e-sabong suspension – Palace
“Yung e-sabong is very addictive. Bakit na-adik ‘yung mga tao? Dahil sa frequency. 24/7, walang hinto,” dela Rosa added.
Earlier, an informant shared some details on the trend of game-fixing or “panyunyupe” in cockfighting.
In the previous episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” the informant hid under the name “Pedro,” who said that he stopped doing such game-fixing in July 2021 when there were already sabungeros missing.
According to Pedro, a few months before the game, those involved in the game-fixing are already looking for a financier who can bet big on the opponent.
It is said that those involved in game-fixing also buy beautiful gamecocks from big-time and well-known sabungero breeders. But instead of conditioning and strengthening, the gamecock is said to be weakened a few months or a few weeks before the fight.
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