Philippines E-sabong Cockfighting Continues Despite 34 Stakeholders Disappearing

The Philippines e-sabong, or online cockfight-betting market, will not be suspended, despite the mysterious disappearance of at least 34 people connected to the industry since last April.

The Office of the President (OP) ordered an investigation into the disappearances but did not heed calls by lawmakers to suspend e-sabong operations.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will conduct a thorough probe into the missing people. They have been ordered to submit their findings to the OP and the Department of Justice within 30 days.

“Unless otherwise directed, the operations of e-sabong licensees shall remain unaffected, pending the result of the above investigations,” the OP said.

Lead in the Case?

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra reported that the NBI has a lead in the case, but he declined to elaborate, according to CNN Philippines.

The 34 men disappeared between April 2021 and January 2022. All are either industry game fowl handlers, aides, helpers, or vehicle drivers, according to The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who led a Senate inquiry into the matter last month, said he believes the men are probably dead.

Big Money Blood Sport

E-sabong is big business in the Philippines. It’s been around for about a decade and previously existed in a gray area of the law. But it has exploded in popularity during the pandemic, at a time when live venues were closed for health and safety reasons. The government, feeling the economic strain of the coronavirus, decided to tax and regulate it.

Philippine regulator PAGCOR began issuing licenses in May 2021. There are currently seven operators in the market.

A resolution filed last week by Senate President Tito Sotto called for the suspension of e-sabong, and was unanimously signed by his fellow senators. But PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo said she was hesitant to halt the market without a formal order from the OP, considering the sums involved.

She said the government was generating around US $12 million in tax from the market per month.