PAGCOR chairman Andrea Domingo says there should be an independent regulator for e-sabong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Philippines.- PAGCOR\u00a0chairman Andrea Domingo\u00a0<\/strong>has suggested that there should be a separate regulator for e-sabong \u2013 online cockfighting \u2013 in Philippines. PAGCOR currently regulates online cockfighting while local governments oversee live events, but Domingo says an independent regulator is required due to the controversy involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said that if e-Sabong is removed from PAGCOR’s remit<\/strong>, the regulator would have more time to focus on overseeing current products and participating in anti-money laundering committees. Her suggestion comes after\u00a031 people linked to the e-sabong industry disappeared<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Domingo said: “I would really encourage that there would be an independent regulator for e-sabong, away from Pagcor…E-sabong has contributed eight to 10 per cent of our total income, but because of the controversies surrounding it, the remaining 90 per cent of our operations are affected.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Domingo added that removing e-Sabong from PAGCOR’s responsibilities would also lower its profit targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n President Rodrigo Duterte<\/a> has recently defended e-sabong operations<\/a> in the Philippines. He says the government needs revenue from online cockfighting because other funds have been consumed by the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Philstar, Duterte said: \u201cI need the money from e-sabong for those expenses that are not in the budget, which you can\u2019t get in the budget so you need money from the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added: \u201cAt the end of the year, if I have the billions at PHP640m a month, then I can use it to help because the pandemic has depleted my contingency plan and the intelligence fund which I gave to the police and military.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The regulator has remitted PHP6bn (US$116.8m) to the country\u2019s treasury for 2021. PAGCOR\u2019s most recent transfer included PHP1.04bn in dividends for 2021<\/strong> and PHP4.95bn in additional\/advance cash dividends (which can be included in future dividend obligations). <\/p>\n\n\n\nPAGCOR remits US$116.8m to Philippines National Treasury<\/h2>\n\n\n\n