Resurrecting online cockfighting, or “e-sabong,” would be far worse than defeating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Senator Joel Villanueva said.

Villanueva pointed out that “e-sabong” directly targets Filipinos from all walks of life.

“We have just defeated an enemy with the POGO ban, and now some are considering resurrecting e-sabong, which is far worse because it directly targets our kababayans from all walks of life,” said Villanueva, in rejecting proposals to revive “e-sabong.”

“While we badly need revenues, the choice should not be between the devil and the deep blue sea. We want our revenues coming from legitimate, legal, and sustainable sources,” he added.

Villanueva said he is strongly against any proposals to revive online cockfighting, as a way to make up for the foregone revenues due to the recent ban on POGOs.

He earlier filed Senate Bill No. 1281, seeking to prohibit all forms of online gambling in the country.

“No matter how you look at it, the social costs of gambling overshadow the intended benefits,” he said.

Like POGOs, operators of online cockfighting were told to pay their tax obligations by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) after a Senate inquiry found them earning billions from online “talpak,” the term used by cockfighters to invite other players to play cockfighting.

POGOs did not prove to be a viable solution to the government’s revenue needs even during the height of their oeprations as collections from them accounted for only a meager portion of taxes.

Moreover, the senator noted that the BIR and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) failed to withhold the 20-percent tax from the winnings of online sabong operators since virtual cockfighting began in 2020.

Villanueva said it is imperative for law enforcement agencies to apply the same rigorous measures against e-sabong as they have with POGOs to thwart its resurgence. 

The senator recalled that during a Senate hearing last February, Pagcor admitted that e-sabong continues to operate, defying the government ban. According to Pagcor, 789 e-sabong operations are still active. 

“Similar to POGOs, e-sabong has brought social costs—worse, it destroys Filipino families, plunges individuals into severe debt, and even forces some to commit theft and crimes to fund their gambling habits,” Villanueva said.

He stressed the plight of some 30 cockfighting enthusiasts or “sabungeros,” some of whom hailed from Bulacan, who remain missing to this day.

“We cannot simply turn a blind eye to the suffering of our people who have become victims of the pitfalls of gambling. Money should not be our only consideration; the welfare of our people must come first,” Villanueva said.