Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr.

Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. believes that the government--specifically the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is doomed to fail in its campaign against e-sabong (electronic cockfighting) in the same way that it has failed to stop online pornography.

Teves, in a virtual press briefing on Monday, April 17, recalled the time when he tried to tell Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos through a committee friend to abandon its campaign against e-sabong.

Teves claimed that doing so would save President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. the embarrassment of failure.

"Tinawagan ko si [Bacolod] Mayor Albee Benitez, sabi ko, 'Boss, pakisabi sa kanila na pigilin na yung operation sa e-sabong dahil mapapahiya lang siya. Mapapahiya lang si Presidente' (I called Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez and said, 'Boss, please tell them to stop their operation against e-sabong because they'll only get embarrassed. The President will get embarrassed)," he said.

"Alam mo sinabi ko yun (You know, I said that) out of care and sincerity. I did not say that for any malicious reasons," Teves said.

"Hindi ko kasi gaano kilala si Abalos, eh si Boss Albee kilala ko, magkaibigan sila ni Abalos. Kaya sabi ko, 'Boss, pakisabi ito sa kaibigan mo, na itigil na muna nila yan dahil walang mangyayari (I'm not too familiar with Abalos, but I knew Boss Albee who was Abalos' friend. That's why I told him, 'Boss please tell your friend to stop it for the meantime since nothing will happen)."

The outspoken congressman continued: "You know why? Because e-sabong is online, parang porn (like porn). Di ba? Hanggang ngayon may porn pa rin eh. Bakit hindi natin matigil ang porn? (Right? Up to now there is porn. Why can't we stop porn?) Because it's online."

Teves reiterated that this "advice" was meant to look after the government, and Marcos specifically.

"Ayoko kasi na gumawa ng kampanya yang gobyerno na suntok sa buwan (I don't like it when government comes up with unrealistic campaigns). Ang balak ko dun (My plan there) was not for anything else but to help the government. Tulong yung pagsabi ko nun (That was meant to help them)," he said.

Teves took part in the briefing to answer questions regarding the Senate probe on the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. Teves is being implicated in the March 4 slay.