PHILIPPINE police on Monday said they had taken down 102 online platforms on cockfighting, which the government of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte banned last year after the disappearance of at least 30 industry workers.
“We are still having a hard time dealing with these electronic sabong operations because of our [limited] technological capabilities,” national police chief Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr. told a news briefing streamed live on Facebook. “The government should start strengthening its cyber-capabilities.”
He said police were closely monitoring 272 websites, 67 Facebook accounts, 31 Facebook groups, 18 Facebook pages and 120 mobile applications that are being used for the now-outlawed gambling operations.
Police have arrested 28 people engaged in online cockfighting games in Mandaluyong City, Lapu-Lapu City and Santiago City, he said.
E-sabong gained popularity during the pandemic as Filipino gamblers trapped at home found they could place bets conveniently on their mobile phones.
Revenues from online cockfighting averaged P400 million monthly in 2021 and P640 million a month before it was banned in May.
The disappearance of at least 30 people linked to online cockfighting activities prompted a Senate investigation and public calls for its ban.
“E-sabong websites hosted outside the Philippines can only be blocked, not taken down, as these sites can continue to operate via virtual private networks,” Mr. Azurin said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez