By Jennifer P. Rendon
Mga ka-sabong, hear ye hear ye.
The hierarchy of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is open to reviving the legal operation of cockpits and holding of cockfighting in the country.
No less than PNP chief General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan hinted at this possibility in his visit to Iloilo City on Thursday.
But on Friday, the inter-agency task force leading the country’s COVID-19 pandemic response has allowed cockfighting in areas under the loosest lockdown.
Cascolan segued to the topic on cockfighting, as he thanked local government officials who attended the signing of the deed of donation for the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) future headquarters located at Barangay Sablogon, Passi City.
Present during the signing were Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr., Board Member Rolando Distura, Passi City Mayor Stephen Palmares, and Passi City Vice Mayor Jesry Palmares.
As he thanked Vice Mayor Palmares, a known gamefowl breeder and cockfight enthusiast, he opened up the possibility of holding legal cockfighting.
“Indi ka mamroblema Jes (Palmares), bal-an mo sang last week, gin-istoryahan naman namon na ang sabong. Basi bala may tsansa nga magbalik. Amo na ang problema kay wala audience,” Cascolan said.
He said they would consider Zoom, as one of the possible “avenue” for the cockfight revival.
“I actually give my recommendation to the good Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Eduardo Año), at least 30 percent of the audience para makabulig man kita sa livelihood sang mga tawo naton,” he said.
Turning to Distura, “That’s why, BM Distura here has a big thing to do,” he said, but did not elaborate any further.
The country’s top cop said that he was also able to talk to other cockfighting enthusiasts in the country.
He then jested that those who want to go into cockfighting could ask Palmares who has “magagaling na manok.”
The IATF, which met Thursday, approved the operation of licensed cockpits in areas under modified general community quarantine, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
“But the IATF said broadcast and online cockfighting is banned and needs the permission of the local government, which will supervise this. Only the handlers are allowed there. Audiences are banned,” Roque said in a Laging Handa press briefing.
At the onset of the community quarantine, Cascolan’s predecessor, General Archie Francisco Gamboa, ordered the massive crackdown on illegal activities violating physical distancing and gathering of persons such as illegal cockfights, card games, mah-jong, and drinking sessions in public places.
Pre-COVID time, cockfighting could either be legal or illegal.
Legal cockfights are usually held in cockpits every week, whilst the illegal ones, called tupada or pauwak, are held in secluded cockpits where authorities cannot raid them.
But in the advent of COVID-19, several local government units (LGUs) have temporarily prohibited cockfighting citing that it’s also a form of social gathering where physical distancing is hard to practice.
The prohibition has later forced enthusiasts to hold tupada or pauwak both in rural and urban areas in Western Visayas.
In fact, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) did 156 operations against illegal cockfighting from March 2020 to September 2020.
This has resulted to the arrest of 597 persons and the confiscation of P204,192.55 in cash bets.
