Lawmakers disagree on giving legislative franchises for e-sabong

The plenary hall of the Batasang Pambansa. (FILE PHOTO) Screenshot from RTVM Youtube Live

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from the House of Representatives disagreed on whether Congress should provide legislative franchises to the operators of e-sabong, with lawmakers raising concerns about private companies earning more compared to the government.

During the House ways and means committee hearing on Monday, a substitute bill to House Bill No. 10204, which would provide the Visayas Cockers Club, Inc. the authority to operate anywhere in the Philippines their off-site betting operations for sabong or cockfighting, was discussed by the committee members.

The said committee was only supposed to discuss the tax provisions about online sabong operations, but Deputy Speaker and Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante voiced his strong opposition against it, echoing Deputy Speaker and Cibac Rep. Eddie Villanueva’s fears that it may add the number of families wrecked due to gambling addictions.

“I’d like to make a manifestation Mr. Chair, I agree with the opposition and manifestation of the former speaker, and Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva […] on the same ground and also particularly Mr. Chair nakita ko doon sa bill na if they are given the franchise, they could be able to open cockfighting anywhere in the Philippines?” Abante asked.

Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. in response said that the company would only be allowed to set up online cockfighting platforms in areas where e-sabong is allowed.

Teves, who was assigned by the committee on legislative franchises to sponsor and defend the bill, explained to Abante and Baguio Rep. Mark Go that online sabong would continue operating even if the government does not regulate it — implying that it would be better if government earns from it.

He also compared it to the Small Town Lottery (STL), which existed prior to its regulation as the numbers game jueteng.

“Ganito lang kasi ‘yan eh.  Sa totoo lang, kung hindi natin i-regulate ‘yong online activities, kahit anong gawin ba natin, pwedeng mangyari.  So mas maganda na lang na ma-regulate siya para legal naman ‘yong nabibigay nitong livelihood sa sobrang daming ahente,” Teves explained.

(Here’s the thing, even if we don’t regulate them, it will continue to operate. So it is better to regulate them to legitimize the livelihood that goes to people.)

“Hindi lang alam ng karamihan na ang daming nabubuhay dito sa e-sabong, katulad sa nabubuhay din sa, when na-regulate na ‘yong numbers game katulad ng STL.  Dati naman kahit hindi na-regulate ‘yong jueteng nananatili siya na continuous at walang napupunta sa gobyerno natin.  But still the livelihood aspect is there,” he added.

(Not everybody knows that a lot of families are making a living out of e-sabong, just like those making a living out of STL. Before we regulated STL, jueteng existed and nothing goes to the government.)

Committee chair and Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda said that he estimates that the government can earn around P3 billion in taxes and P5 billion as payments made to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

But Go also questioned if the bill would do more than harm, as it may lead to having so many betting areas across the country since the government would allow the company to operate anywhere in the country.

Teves, on the other hand, asked why many lawmakers are opposing the bill when Congress had already passed a similar bill — a copy of the current proposals.  Abante countered him, saying that the said bill was not fully discussed in the plenary.

“Ang sa akin lang, hindi ko maintindihan why there are questions on 10204, I hope they were consistent that they also asked questions on 10199, which is an exact copy, exact same bill.  They are two exact bills, and ‘yong isa approved na, hindi ko lang maintindihan bakit may tanong dito sa kabila, sana consistent sila nagtanong rin sila sa kabila,” Teves said.

“To answer the question of Congressman Arnie Teves, ‘yong unang-unang bill naman, hindi masyadong pinag-usapan ‘yan eh.  I mean it was not even debated in the plenary,” Abante replied.

In the end, Salceda was forced to divide the house and end the discussions by individual voting, wherein the motion to approve the committee report on the said proposal was carried with most of the committee members voting in the affirmative.

In the Senate too

Discussions about e-sabong also happened coincidentally in the Senate, during the deliberation of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) budget before the plenary.  In one of the interpellations made by Senator Francis Tolentino, he proposed that PSC can increase its budget by either seeking augmentation from Congress, or on a more creative manner, through revenues from e-sabong.

“I have been hearing whispers from the dark corners of this plenary that I should just make a motion for the augmentation which I support.  But there should be fairness and justice enough for PSC to really get what is due there,” Tolentino said.

“And if I can excite and trigger the creative juices of the good PSC chairman, perhaps he should even work towards an allotment that would generate funds coming from online sabong, if he is really intent on upgrading the financial resources of PSC,” he added.

Senator Joel Villanueva — son of Deputy Speaker Villanueava — said that he is also against the said measure.

“I’m against that Mr. President […] If Pagcor would comply with the five percent allocation they (PSC) are okay with that, Mr. President, they can actually function well,” Villanueva said.

Senator Pia Cayetano also joined Villanueva in questioning whether e-sabong should even be considered by the government.

“It was only mentioned during the time of Senator Tolentino when he said that perhaps in the future, we can clearly state — if in case it comes to the floor — that there will be a crystal clear […] that we can earmark possible income from e-sabong,” Villanueva told Cayetano.

“As his honor knows, I join them, number one as a big supporter of sports but I also join you in my concern about online gaming, particularly online sabong, being authorized.  I have grave concerns and I will share it at the proper time, because we already have seen the effects of Pagcor’s operations of e-sabong on families during lockdown, and it is devastating,” Cayetano said.

During the strict quarantine lockdowns due to COVID-19, online sabong emerged as a modern way of betting in place of the cockfighting that takes place in crowded areas.  However, several lawmakers as early as 2020 have expressed concerns about the activity, as it may lead Filipinos into huge debts.

READ: Home-based online ‘sabong’ stations in Pampanga ordered shut 

READ: Online gambling craze: Rise of ‘e-sabong’ alarms solons 

JPV