The Philippine National Police (PNP) has called on the government to include e-sabong (online cockfighting) on the list of illegal gambling activities punishable under the nation’s anti-illegal gambling law.
According to a report by the Philippine News Agency, the PNP’s view on e-sabong was outlined during a press briefing on Monday where General Rodolfo Azurin Jr said the Anti-Cybercrime Group had recommended the measure to Congress and proposed sanctions against any service providers that fail to block e-sabong websites.
“It should be noted that e-sabong websites hosted outside the Philippines can only be blocked, not taken down, as these sites can continue to operate via a virtual private network,” Azurin Jr said.
“The PNP is having a hard time curbing e-sabong because of the technological aspect. It’s a battle of technology. Some people engaged in e-sabong are well-financed and their resources are overwhelming so I think the government should also start beefing up or strengthening its cyber capability.”
The broadcasting of cockfights beyond the live arenas in which they are held has been suspended since May last year, with Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr issuing an executive order in December extending the suspension indefinitely following the disappearance of at least 34 people linked to the controversial blood sport.
According to Azurin, 28 people have since been arrested, 102 platforms catering to e-sabong blocked and 76 more deleted or deactivated.
“Representations have been made with the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) to take down five active websites that continue to host e-sabong games,” he said.
“The PNP is closely monitoring 272 platforms, comprising 146 websites, 67 Facebook accounts, 31 Facebook groups, 18 Facebook pages and 10 mobile applications used in e-sabong activities.”
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