CV cops raid ‘e-sabong’ joint in Cebu; 1 staff nabbed
A STEPPED-UP effort by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 to identify and arrest personalities behind continuing illegal “e-sabong” (online cockfighting) operations in Central Visayas on Monday resulted in a raid on a cockpit joint in San Fernando, Cebu, where around 200 cockfighting games broadcasted on Facebook Live are being held daily, PRO 7 Director Brigadier General Jerry F. Bearis said Wednesday.
The official said that the raid led to the arrest of a 23-year-old employee of the banned games in San Fernando municipality.
He said that the suspect, a resident of Talisay City, Cebu was arrested in an entrapment operation in the mountainous part of Barangay Bugho in San Fernando municipality around 7:30 a.m. Monday.
During the investigation, the suspect confessed that their online cockfighting starts at 5:00 a.m. and ends at the dawn of the following day.
The suspect said they hold at least 200 cockfights every day with him tasked to hold the fighting cock while being fitted with “tari” or a cockfighting blade by a “gaffer,” which is an expert in the art of arming fighting cocks with gaff or gaffs on either or both legs.
In a report to PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo D. Azurin Jr., the PRO 7 director said that members of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 7, PRO 7 Regional Intelligence Division, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB), Cebu Provincial Police Office (PPO) and San Fernando Municipal Police Station (MPS) conducted the anti-illegal gambling operation.
However, seven other suspects managed to escape after sensing the presence of the approaching lawmen, Bearis said.
Recovered during the operation were Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment such as cameras, sets of the system unit, 28 dead fighting cocks, 28 severely wounded roosters, assorted identification cards, several gaffs and ties, and P528 cash in different denominations.
Bearis said he had ordered a thorough investigation to identify the persons behind the operations of the raided e-sabong joint.
“Alinsunod sa direktiba ni SILG Atty. Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos, Jr. ukol sa illegal cockpit operations at e-sabong, mas pinapaiigting po nang ating mga kapulisan ang pagsugpo ng mga lumalaganap na ilegal na pagsusugal online o e-sabong at mas mapapadali po namin ito sa pamamagitan ng patuloy na pagsuporta nang ating komunidad laban sa illegal gambling,” he said.
The official also thanked the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) headed by Brig. Gen. Joel B. Doria for its continuing support of its all-out effort to stop all illegal online sabong operations in the region.
