Online cockfighting and gambling have been described by former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano as the “new pandemic” that requires immediate government action in order to save Filipino families from social, moral and economic degradation.
Cayetano made the call as he sought the rejection in Congress of applications for legislative franchises sought by two on-line ‘sabong’ firms.
Last week, Deputy Speaker and CIBAC Partylist Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva called for ‘no’ votes to House Bill No. 10204 that proposes the grant of a 25-year legislative franchise to the Visayas Cockers Club Inc. for the operation of off-site betting stations for online sabong in the country.
Another legislative franchise bill has been approved by the Lower HOuse for the Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc. which also proposes the operation of offsite betting stations and internet cockfighting.
“There is a new pandemic that the government is not trying to stop, bagkus baliktad (even more so the other way around). It seems the government is pushing this pandemic through PAGCOR and I hope Congress is not part of it,” Cayetano told a press conference over the weekend.
Cayetano, who is seeking a Senate seat, cited the 1939 case of People v. Punto to show how even nearly a century ago, the Supreme Court had already recognized that gambling must be prohibited because it “undermines the social, moral, and economic growth of the nation.” He said despite this, gaming and gambling have found a way to corrupt and circumvent regulatory policies.
“When you make gaming and gambling available on the internet and you allow e-wallets, is the government now preventing an evil or ang gobyerno pa ba ang tumutulak (is the government the one pushing for it)?” he said.
The former speaker cited the case of a 19-year-old student in Maco, Davao de Oro who was arrested on November 3, 2021 after failing to pay P561,000 in debt to e-sabong.
He said before the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities allowed cockfighting but were regulated by the local government units.
“Why is this important? Because regulation is important,” he said, adding that with online gambling, there is a lack of regulation and a lack of protection.
Minors, mentally vulnerable people, people gambling money they do not own, habitual gamblers, and other people are open to the evils of gambling, he said.
Cayetano also said once e-gambling gains ground, other forms of gambling are sure to follow.
“Once binuksan mo ang pinto, hindi mo pwedeng sabihin na ‘Hoy! E-sabong lang pwede. Hindi pwede e-casino, hindi pwede ending, hindi pwede sports betting.’ Diyan papunta ‘yan, (Once we open the door to online gambling, we cannot say that only e-sabong is allowed and say that e-casinos, e-ending, or sports betting are banned. This is where we are heading.),” he said.
Cayetano conceded that while the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is bringing in revenue to the government through its regulatory functions over e-sabong, the amount generated -- P2.8 billion -- is minuscule compared with the social damage online gambling can bring.