THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday reported that seven illegal “e-sabong” operations have been shut down following the crackdown ordered by DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.

DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) is now investigating the administrators of these websites to be able to file charges against responsible individuals.

“These criminals thrive on the anonymity of the Internet, and they are taking advantage of this, but the PNP, together with our colleagues from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), will not rest until they have been unmasked,” he said.

He said the PNP is doing “cyber patrolling” operations to find websites, applications, and social media platforms that are operating illegally despite the directive of the President.

“Another 12 websites and eight social media platforms were monitored by the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to be operating illegally, and we are coordinating with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) for these websites to be shut down,” he said.

Of the 12 websites, only two were registered in the Philippines, while the rest were located in other countries.

Malaya said they have also discovered several Facebook pages and groups promoting e-sabong that will provide a link when you send a message to them.

“Once you open the link, you will be able to register and create an account to log in,” he added.

“It’s very easy to register, so even minors are able to access the sites freely,” he said.

Malaya said they have also requested Meta, the parent company of Facebook (FB), to immediately delete or suspend the pages on FB devoted to e-sabong.

He said that since the mode of payment and cash-out is through the GCash platform and other platforms, they will also request the assistance of Globe Telecom in putting a stop to the use of their platform for illegal purposes.

“These illegal e-sabong outfits operate without licenses or franchises from the national or local governments and are not remitting a single peso in revenue to the state,” he added.

Malaya asked for the public’s help in putting a stop to these illegal operations. “We urge the public to immediately contact your nearest police station if you know where the studios of these illegal e-sabong operations are so we can put a stop to it. If you also know who the operators are, please contact your nearest police station or CIDG office,” he said.

He also warned the public that “It’s a ‘risk’ to bet on these online platforms because it’s unregulated and you are never sure if you will be paid with your winnings at the end of the day… Dahil illegal po ito, hindi niyo po alam kung saan napupunta ang inyong pera or kung may dayaan.”

The DILG, through its regional and field offices, earlier surveyed respondents in every city and municipality across the country.

A total of 8,463 respondents answered the online sentiment survey of the DILG from April 19-20, 2022, to gauge public perceptions of e-sabong and to provide the President with a basis for his decision on the fate of e-sabong.

Based on the survey results, 62% or a majority of those surveyed want to put a stop to e-sabong, which became prominent during the community quarantine in the last two years of the pandemic, 34% want it to continue, but with tighter regulation, while 4% completely support it.

The reasons cited by the respondents for opposing e-sabong, include addiction to gambling, the bankruptcy of players, indebtedness, the cost to the family, neglect of work and studies, and crime.

The DILG Spox also pointed out that while only 21 years and above shall be allowed to play e-sabong, the reality is people, regardless of age, have become addicted to the game.

Reports from the communities revealed that people ages 20 and below can gamble due to the laxity in the e-sabong registration process. By Jun I. Legaspi