Duterte to decide on e-sabong fate by Monday

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MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said he will decide whether or not to suspend the operations of online cockfighting or “e-sabong” by Monday, following an investigation of the  Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“Si DILG, I tasked him to make a serious study of the e-sabong. The recommendation is on my table now so pagdating doon babasahin ko and maybe by Monday malalaman kung ituloy o hindi,” said Duterte in a speech after an inspection of a hospital for overseas Filipino workers in San Fernando City, the capital of Pampanga.

(DILG, I tasked him to make a serious study of the e-sabong. The recommendation is on my table now so when I get there I will read and maybe by Monday I will know whether to continue it or not.)

Duterte said he ordered the DILG to investigate e-sabong over its social issues.

“So we have a problem there and we want to defer to the body, but then again we must study seriously or take into consideration ‘yung social issues. Marami kasi eh (there is a lot),” said Duterte.

In the same speech, however, Duterte also defended his move to allow the continued operation of e-sabong as the government earns millions from it monthly.

“About the only reason why I, we, in the executive department allowed it kasi ang estimate ni (because the estimate of) [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chief Andrea Domingo] is that it would help us, something like P640 million a month. That would give us at the end of the year billions,” said Duterte.

“We are obliged to help in government. We should all use government’s money for the needs of the people,” he added in Filipino.

This, said Duterte, allowed the Pagcor to even provide the Philippine General Hospital with P100 million in monthly assistance.

The Senate on February 24 transmitted to Malacañang and Pagcor its resolution calling for the suspension of e-sabong.

The resolution was prompted by the disappearance of at least 34 online cockfighters.

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