Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Monday, February 28, 2022 that President Rodrigo Duterte had agreed to suspend e-sabong operations, according to Rappler1. The following day, acting presidential spokesperson Secretary Karlo Nograles said the palace did "not have any word yet on that"1. The government has yet to decide whether to suspend e-sabong permits1.
The disagreement surfaced publicly on Friday, March 4, when PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo and Senator Ronald dela Rosa argued during a Senate probe into missing e-sabong personalities1. Dela Rosa, who chairs the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said he had personally spoken to Duterte, who told him to proceed; Domingo said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea had asked the President and been told he had said nothing of the kind1. Domingo said PAGCOR could not simply halt operations:
"Although we do respect the resolution from 24 senators for us to immediately suspend e-sabong operations, we stand at the peril of having to pay P640 million while we suspend [the operations] without clear and legal basis."
Domingo said PAGCOR would have to talk to e-sabong operators before deciding1. Senator Grace Poe said nothing in PAGCOR's charter requires it to seek presidential authorization, and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the power to grant a license is the power to suspend it without clearance from Malacañang1. Under its charter, PAGCOR has the power to "regulate, operate, authorize, and license games of chance, games of cards, and games of numbers, particularly casino gaming in the Philippines"1.
| Figure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Missing persons | 34 people involved in e-sabong reported missing, per Senate data1 |
| Industry earnings | At least P640 million ($12,378,847.12) since January, per PAGCOR data1 |
| Police complaints | At least seven complaints against e-sabong involving police personnel, January 1 to February 211 |
The Philippine National Police launched a probe on Monday into its own personnel who took part in the online gambling activity1. Data from the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management showed at least seven complaints against e-sabong involving police personnel between January 1 and February 211.
What it means for players
E-sabong, or online cockfight betting, is regulated by PAGCOR, which licenses the operators1. As of the March 4 Senate hearing, no suspension had been ordered and the government had not decided whether to suspend permits, so the legal status of the activity was unchanged1. PAGCOR's position was that it would consult operators before any decision1. The Senate had passed a resolution from 24 senators calling for immediate suspension, but that resolution did not by itself stop operations1. For background on how the activity is licensed and where it sits among other games, see Sabong: Cockfight Betting in the Philippines, Asian Gambling Games and Can I Gamble in the Philippines?.
What happens next
PAGCOR said it would talk to e-sabong operators before deciding on suspension1. The Senate committee continued its probe into the missing e-sabong personalities, and the PNP probe into its own personnel was ongoing1. No date for a decision on the permits has been reported1.
