PNP intensifies crackdown vs e-sabong nationwide
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) intensified its crackdown on banned e-sabong online activities nationwide in coordination with all concerned government units and other agencies, PNP chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said.
So far, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has blocked 1,529 websites aligned with e-sabong with the help of telecommunication companies since last year, the top cop said citing a report from PNP-ACG director Brigadier Gen. Sydney S. Hernia.
The official said the e-sabong crackdown is part of PNP’s commitment to eradicate the online cockfighting games ordered by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.
The Presidential order has prompted the PNP-ACG to continuously monitor and ‘neutralize’ websites associated with e-Sabong activities.
Gen. Acorda said their campaign against the banned e-sabong from July 1, 2022 to August 15 this year has resulted in the arrest of 1,245 suspects, 322 of them convicted by the court.
Citing data from the PNP Crime Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CRAS) as of last August 17, the PNP chief revealed a significant stride in the campaign against e-sabong activities nationwide.
He said that among the apprehended suspects, 437 cases have been referred to prosecutors, while 808 cases have been directed to courts for further legal action.
The same case records culled thru CIRAS revealed 322 cases which led to the conviction of the accused.
PNP-CIDG cited for job well done
Gen. Acorda has also cited the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) headed by Major Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. for a job well done in fighting the banned game.
Last July, agents of the PNP-CIDG arrested 24 personnel of a clandestine ‘online sabong’ joint located inside a farm in Laoac, Pangasinan while conducting the banned game beamed live on Facebook.
Caramat said those arrested inside the Camora Farm in Barangay Baligi in Laoac were 18 males and six females employed as announcers/disc jockeys, computer operators, cameramen, gaffers, ‘sentenciador,’ streamer, hitter, matcher, commentator, cook dishwasher or security personnel.
The 24 arrested personalities came from different places in Laoac; Lucena City and Tayabas City and Pagbilao municipality in Quezon province; Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac; and Malabon City.
Among the evidence seized during the anti-illegal gambling operation were 676 live fighting cocks and 24 dead ‘panabong.’
According to the official, members of the CIDG Pangasinan Provincial Field Unit and the CIDG Regional Field Unit 1 conducted the raid with the assistance of officers from the Laoac Municipal Police Station, the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office and the Police Regional Office 1 Regional Intelligence Division.
A check showed that a group called ‘Global Talpakeros-Online Sabong’ encourages cockfighting enthusiasts belonging to different Facebook Groups to click and register at https:chillside77.
The PNP-CIDG director said his men recovered 675 live fighting cocks, 23 dead fighting cocks, a box containing 25 gaffs, two cameras used for ‘online sabong,’ a dead fighting cock with a gaff, four sets of computers used to stream the game online, 21 assorted mobile phones, a computer printer, a live fighting cock with a gaff, two microphones, two PLDT internet modems, a sound mixer and two ledgers containing the joint’s expenses and income during a search of the facility.
It was the first major ‘online sabong’ jointly dismantled by the PNP-CIDG in Luzon this year amid a directive from President Marcos.
