Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa on Wednesday April 19, urged the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go hammer and tongs against the lucrative e-sabong (electronic cockfighting) operations in the country. ‘’These people have unlimited pile of cash. NBI, go after e-sabong and even offer your life in the operation," Dela Rosa said during the third day of his committee's public hearing on the "reign of terror" in Negros Oriental. He was talking to lawyer Renan Oliva, current director of the NBI Cebu regional office, who was allegedly threatened with a lawsuit by Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. last year. Dela Rosa also asked ranking PNP officers present at the committee hearing to help the NBI in its anti-e-sabong drive. ‘’These are powerful politicians. Mahirap ang buhay natin (Our lives are at risk),’’ Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, said. ‘’It is happening in the Philippines,’’ Dela Rosa said, referring to suspects threatening policemen, fiscals, prosecutors, and even attempting to bribe judges. As e-sabong operations continue, Dela Rosa said groups have become impregnable ‘’and we are being challenged here". Oliva testified that Teves threatened to file charges against NBI agents for the alleged theft of P7 million taken during an e-sabong cockpit in Minglanilla, Cebu. Oliva said he was surprised at the amount stated by Teves since what the NBI turned over to the Court of First Instance was P2.6 million and livestreaming paraphernalia seized during the raid. He said his office filed a case with the fiscal’s office against two operators and 37 personnel caught in the act of livestreaming e-sabong. Dela Rosa saluted Oliva for not buckling down to Teves’ threats and for holding up his oath of office. Stopping e-sabong operations would stop the flow of money to operators who buy a house, not for residential purposes, but to store their piles of money, he pointed out. Former president Rodrigo Duterte and incumbent President Ferdinand ‘’Bongbong’’ Marcos Jr. had previously ordered authorities to put a stop to e-sabong. The senator expressed fears that gambling lords would soon take control of Philippine politics.