Philippines: 80 arrested over illegal cockfighting
The Philippine National Police have arrested 80 people in a series of raids on cock fights.
The Philippines.- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has reported that 80 people were arrested in an intensified drive against cockfighting operations in the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar over the weekend. The authorities confiscated cockfighting paraphernalia, such as gaffs, bet money and recovered live and dead cocks.
At a raid in Dagami, Leyte 52 men were arrested in a cockfighting arena in the town’s Casamada East village, according to Colonel Major Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the PNP regional office.
The police also arrested eight in Ormoc City in Leyte; seven in Hinunangan, Southern Leyte; four each in Anahawan in Southern Leyte, Isabel in Leyte, and Sogod in Southern Leyte; three in Laoang, Northern Samar; two in Arteche in Eastern Samar; and one each in Borongan City and Guiuan town in Eastern Samar.
“The successful arrest of these gambling operators in the region is a by-product of our strict enforcement of the law amidst the implementation of Alert Level 3 in the entire Eastern Visayas,” Rentuaya said.
The provinces of Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar have been under Alert Level 3 from February 1 until February 15.
Last week, Police in Manila have arrested 56 people for involvement in illegal cockfights. Among those arrested were two barangay captains and a councilman. A few weeks ago, police arrested 11 people in Bantayan Island, northern Cebu.
In January, the superintendent of police (SP) Siddharth Kaushal reported that police dismantled 52 arenas readied for cockfights in various parts of the district. Police also seized 126 roosters, 1,306 rooster knives, 96 two-wheelers, two auto-rickshaws, three cars, 22 mobile phones, an electric motor and other equipment used to prepare the arena.
