CIDG in full swing vs. e-sabong activities

MANILA – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will comply with the directive of PNP officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., to crack down on operators who continue to flout the suspension order of President Rodrigo Duterte on e-sabong operations in the country.

Maj. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz, CIDG chief, has ordered a full swing police operation against e-sabong immediately after receiving reports that online sabong still exists and operating.

He said the Special Operating Units down to the Regional and Provincial Field Units of the CIDG began with its monitoring and case build-up on websites and social media platforms allegedly involved in the illegal activity.

Prior to the directive from the PNP OIC, the CIDG already conducted numerous police operations against e-sabong since March 2022. To date, a total of 41 individuals were arrested and 9 criminal cases were filed in various courts.

While this all-out war against e-sabong operation is being heightened, Cruz emphasized that the CIDG will not fall back nor lose track and keep its thorough investigation going on the missing cockfighting aficionados wherein cases were already filed against the suspects in the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of John Claude Inonog and five others in Sta. Ana, Manila, and of Ricardo Ricafort Lasco in San Pablo City, Laguna, respectively.

Meanwhile, PNP Spokesperson, Col. Jean Fajardo, warned e-sabong or online cockfighting operators and bettors to follow and completely cease operations otherwise they will be dealt with with the full force of the law and be jailed.

Fajardo issued the warning after at least six sites were still found to be positive for conducting illegal online cockfighting and betting.

She said the PNP cybercrime units are now closely coordinating with other authorities not only for cyber patrolling in active e-sabong sites but in preparing arrests as well.

“They already identified initially anim na illegal e-sabong sites na nag-o-operate (six illegal e-sabong sites that are operating),” she told reporters during a press conference held at Camp Crame on Wednesday.

Presently, Fajardo said the cybercrime units are closely working on a case buildup against the six identified illegal e-sabong sites.

She added that they had requested social media providers as well to take down the sites, but it may take two weeks.

They are now coordinating with the service providers to identify the operators of the illegal sites.