Duterte says to stop ‘e-sabong’ if proven players pawn things to bet

Cockfight. INQUIRER.net stock photo

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will halt the operations of e-sabong or online cockfighting if it is proven that players pawn personal possessions to place their bets.

“Ang problema ganito… itong mga ito, nagpupusta lahat. Nagsasangla na para magpusta. ‘Yun ang sabi ng tagalabas. If it is true, then hihintuin ko ‘yan,” Duterte said during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Overseas Filipino Workers Center in Las Piñas City on Thursday.

(The problem is, the enthusiasts bet. They pawn just to bet on e-sabong. That is what outsiders say. If it is true, I will stop it.)

“Masigurado ninyo, before I go, I will stop it, kung totoo. But I have to sacrifice, I said, the billions that we would have earned kung nandiyan ‘yan,” he added.

(You can be assured, before I go, I will stop it, if it is true. But I have to sacrifice the billions that we would have earned if it was there.)

According to the President, e-sabong operations yield an income of P640 million per month for the government, justifying his decision to let online cockfighting operations continue.

“You know in e-sabong, baka nagduda kayo (you may wonder), I don’t know anybody there. It’s a transaction by Pagcor (The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation). Pinayagan ko lang ‘yan (I just allowed it) — I have the ultimate word on it — because it gives us [P640] million a month,” he said.

“Kailangan ko ang pera for those expenses na wala sa budget. Hindi mo makuha sa budget so you need money from the outside,” Duterte added.

(I need the money for those expenses that are not in the budget. You cannot get it from the budget so you need money from the outside.)

Earlier, 23 senators asked Malacañang and Pagcor to suspend e-sabong operations after 31 enthusiasts were reported missing.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, however, said that e-sabong operations will continue, pending the result of an investigation being conducted by the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation.

KGA