'Meron on wala?': 'Meron' as cops confirmed presence of e-sabong operation in Misamis Occidental raid, 4 arrested
The goal of word-of-mouth marketing did not go well for operators of online sabong in Misamis Occidental as the information was passed on to the wrong target bettors—the cops.
On Friday, June 26, Misamis Occidental policemen raided a cockfighting arena which was confirmed to be hosting an e-sabong platform that reaches even Filipino bettors abroad.
Gen. Jose Melencio C Nartatez, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the operations resulted in the arrest of at least four people and the shutting down of the arena in Jimenez town.
Police have been running after e-sabong guerrilla operations that mushroomed in various parts of the country after President Marcos ordered a ban in 2022 “to protect public health and morals and promote public safety and general welfare.”
Under Marcos’ Executive Order 9, all online, remote, or off-cockpit wagering or betting on live cockfighting matches are all suspended.
Live-streaming or broadcasting cockfights outside cockpits, cockfighting arenas, or other places where cockfights are held, regardless of the location of the betting platform, are also not allowed.
And last week, local police intelligence inadvertently received information from an e-sabong bettor about the presence of a cockfighting operation being used in an online platform.
Police later confirmed that the cockfighting in Jimenez town was being live streamed with bets reaching to hundreds of thousands of pesos.
“Let me reiterate that e-sabong is illegal, and let this operation serve as a stern warning to those who would dare to violate the law that the Philippine National Police will run after you,” said Nartatez.
Nartatez lauded the operating units in Misamis Occidental for the successful operation and stressed the need to ensure that the entire province is free from hosting online sabong operations.
He also directed all police commanders down to the chiefs of police to intensify intelligence-gathering to thwart and fully stop online sabong operations in their respective areas of responsibility.