If he would have his way, presidential candidate and UniTeam member Bongbong Marcos would regulate online cockfighting or "e-sabong" in a way that it would become less frequent and inaccessible to children.
Marcos was asked during his participation in Go Negosyo’s “Kandidatalks: Negosyo, Trabaho at Kalusugan” series on Monday, March 21 about his take on e-sabong, which has become very controversial of its alleged connection to several incidents of crime.
"Habang mas malalim ang ating pag-aaral dyan sa sitwasyon na yan, lumalabas yung gaya ng sinabi mo--may social cost na (As we study that situation more, its social costs are beginning to manifest)," he said.
The former senator then likened the gambling aspect of e-sabong as "like drugs".
"Kasi...parang drugs yan eh....wala namang halos kaibahan. It's an addiction din eh, ang pagsugal. So nasisira na ang pamilya. Isang bagay, yung bata. Yung bata basta may telepono kaya nilang sumama dyan eh (It's like drugs...there's almost no difference. Gambling is only an additiction. So it destroys the family. Another thing are the children. If a child has a phone, then he can join in)," he explained.
According to the Ilocano Palace bet, e-sabong "must be regulated better".
Asked if he would opt to suspend e-sabong operations instead, Marcos answered: 'Wag 24/7, at tsaka wag accessible sa lahat. Yung bata, yun ang aking laging iniisip, yung bata (It shouldn't be 24/7, and it shouldn't be accessible to all. The kids are who I always think about, the kids)."
Marcos noted that the Philippines already regulates other forms of gambling.
"May sabong naman talaga eh. Mayroon tayong off-track betting, mayroon na tayong the equivalent ng ganun (Cockfighting has been around. We have off-track betting, we have the equivalent of it).
Pointing to e-sabong, Marcos said: "So baka gawin nating digital, pero bawasan natin, wag 24/7. Weekends, halimbawa. Tsaka wag siya buong araw. Kasi naiiwan na yung tao doon eh (If we're going to make it digital, let's cut down on the frequency, don't make it 24/7. Maybe hold it on weekends, for example. And it shouldn't last an entire day. Because the people main end up saying online).