Gov’t should scrutinize e-sabong like POGOs - Hontiveros

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday urged the government authorities to probe

e-sabong as thoroughly as the Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) following
reports over the 34 individuals who went missing in cockfighting incidents this month.

In an interview at ANC, Senator Hontiveros stressed that e-sabong should be

regulated as soon as possible as the law-enforcing authorities undertake the
investigation of the missing cockfighting enthusiasts or sabungeros.

“The urgent matter is siguruhin ang buhay at kaligatasan nitong missing persons
and strategically i-subject itong e-sabong sa parehong scrutiny na ginawa namin sa
POGO,” Hontiveros asserted.

In line with this, she said the senate has filed a resolution calling on the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to temporarily suspend the
operations of e-sabong until the case has been resolved.

According to the senator, e-sabong stakeholders should clear the ‘high bar’ and
establish that they comply with the rules and regulations of the country over these kinds
of operations.

During the interview, Hontiveros further stressed that minors should not be
allowed to participate in ‘online gambling’ of e-sabong since it no longer requires
physical interactions among cockfighters.

She said e-sabong platforms must be child-proofed to ensure that minors are not
lulled to spend money online through gambling platforms.

“Minors should not be allowed to participate because My concern is that the

minors should not be in a pretense of being of legal age who can participate in these
kinds of gaming activities using their limited allowances,” Hontiveros explained.

The lawmaker further said that gambling operations such as e-sabong should not
be a scene of crimes in order to ensure the continuous operations of its platforms.