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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider 'Where are they?': Lacson, Sotto want 'missing sabungeros' found

'Where are they?': Lacson, Sotto want 'missing sabungeros' found

Published Feb 18, 2022 02:11 pm

Partido Reporma presidential candidate Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and running mate Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III have called for a thorough investigation to find and give justice to 30 persons who went missing after going to a cockfight arena in Laguna.

(Photo from putakputak.com)

In their regular "Meet the Press" event on Thursday, Feb. 17 the Lacson-Sotto tandem said the "sabong" enthusiasts should be found right away because their lives were at stake.

Some family members have already approached the longtime public servants for help in finding the sabungeros who were first reported missing on Jan. 14.

"So, ako, hindi na kasi ako ‘yung chairman ng public order and illegal drugs sa Senate. Kung ako ‘yung chairman, I think we should call for a Senate inquiry, kasi medyo malala na talaga . If I were still the chairman, I think we should call for a Senate inquiry because it has gotten out of hand)’,’ Lacson said.

Sotto said they received information that some of the relatives of the missing persons wanted to divulge information about online cockfighting operations, or e-sabong.

"So, we’ll find ways to be able to talk to them and if necessary, if none of the members of the Senate presently are not interested, we can always ask the chairman of the Committee on Games to conduct an investigation or hearing from that," Sotto added.

The veteran senators had previously vowed to pass laws to regulate e-sabong owing to the social problems that gambling has created especially among overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and the youth who are addicted to it.

Senatorial aspirant Emmanuel 'Manny' Piñol, who was also at the press conference alongside Partido Reporma's other Senate bets, said online cockfighting was worse than drug addiction.

"Mas matindi pa ito sa droga. 'yung 'shabu' 'pag tinamaan ka tulog ka. Ito habang nakamulat 'yung mata mo pwede kang magsugal [This is worse than drugs. If you take 'shabu' (meth), you can still fall asleep. Here (e-sabong), as long as your eyes are wide open, you can gamble)," Piñol added.

When he was still Secretary of Agriculture, Piñol said he proposed that the game fowl industry be considered as an agricultural activity.

”Because talaga namang maraming kumikita diyan e--'yung farmer ng mais, 'yung feeds na kinakailangan, galing sa agriculture 'yun and 'yung mga nag-aalaga ng manok, hundreds of thousands actually ang nakikinabang diyan (Because really, a lot of people earn from cockfighting -- the corn farmers, the feeds used, that all comes from agriculture. Even those who take care of the roosters, hundreds of thousands actually benefit from cockfighting,’’ the former governor of North Cotabato pointed out.

"However, we have to differentiate an industry from gambling," added Piñol, also the former chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

Related Tags

Tito Sotto Panfilo Lacson 21822 sabungeros cockfighting missing
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