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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 2 anti-gambling solons speak out as Senate moves to stop 'e-sabong' ops

2 anti-gambling solons speak out as Senate moves to stop 'e-sabong' ops

Published Mar 3, 2022 10:47 am

Two deputy speakers from the House of Representatives--both with a disdain for gambling--have spoken following the Senate’s resolution to suspend online cockfighting ("e-sabong") amid the cases of missing cockfighters.

Rep. Eduardo Villanueva (left) and Rep. Bienvenido Abante, Jr. (Photos from congress.gov.ph/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante, Jr., in a statement Thursday, March 3, joined the call urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to suspend all e-sabong operations.

Senate Resolution (SR) No. 996, urges PAGCOR to suspend the operating licenses of e-sabong hosts and to halt all e-sabong activities. So far, 23 out of 24 senators have signed it.

The resolution was made to aid in the investigation of the 31 missing cockfighters.

“PAGCOR should be proactive and immediately suspend e-sabong activities, especially given the suspicious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of 31 sabungeros,” Abante said.

“I am not surprised that the President agrees with the recommendations of senators to suspend e-sabong given his zero tolerance policy for criminal activity–and it is obvious in the disappearance of these 31 sabungeros that crimes have been committed,” Abante said.

According to Senate President Vicente Sotto III last Feb. 28, President Rodrigo Duterte himself gave the nod to suspend e-sabong licenses following the cases of the missing cockfighters.

Meanwhile, Citizens' Battle against Corruption (CIBAC) Party-list Rep. Eduardo Villanueva condemned e-sabong and the gambling industry as a whole, arguing that Congress should work to remove the e-sabong infrastructure entirely.

“Fathers, brothers, and sons are dying senseless deaths. Mothers, wives, and children are being needlessly widowed and orphaned just because gambling moguls are being favored over the welfare of the people,” Villanueva said in a separate statement Wednesday night, March 2.

“How many more e-sabong-related crimes and suicides are we waiting to see before we implement an absolute ban on all e-gambling operations?” he asked.

Villanueva also slammed the potential implementation of a congressional e-sabong licensure, claiming that “A congressional license on e-sabong will only deepen a destructive get-rich-quick culture among our people.”

As of Feb. 24, 2022, a total of 31 sabungeros have been reported missing according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Related Tags

e-sabong sabungeros E-SABONG SUSPENSION 30322 missing Bienvenido Abante
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