Senate probes ‘e-sabong’ abductions

Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa  (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald de la Rosa, the chair of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, called on the public on Saturday to come out and provide any information that will help solve the mystery behind the abduction of about 30 men, amid reports that these disappearances were tied to “online sabong” or “e-sabong.”

In a radio interview from Pangasinan province, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa allayed the fears of families and other informants who were concerned over their safety as they supposedly hold pieces of information vital to the solution of the abductions.

“They should overcome their fears. We call on anyone who may have information to share to us and divulge any information, before or even during the Senate hearing,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said he was launching the investigation on Thursday to help find solutions to the growing problem of Filipinos’ addiction to “e-sabong.”

He said e-sabong now poses a real threat to the peace and security of the country, as many Filipinos are reportedly already addicted to the online game.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), the country’s gambling regulatory agency, defines “e-sabong” as the online or remote, or off-site betting on live cockfighting matches, events, and activities, which are streamed or broadcasted live from cockpit arenas licensed or authorized by local governments.

According to Dela Rosa, the committee will invite representatives from Pagcor and the Philippine National Police.

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