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Sorry for initially allowing e-sabong ops: PRRD
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shows a gesture of respect as leads the lowering of the tunnel boring machine and inspection of the subway depot of the Metro Manila Subway Project at Barangay Ugong in Valenzuela City on June 12, 2022. ALFRED FRIAS/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday apologized to the public for realizing “very late” the downside of initially allowing e-sabong operations in the country.
“‘Yung e-sabong, I’m sorry, I did not really realize that it would be like,” he said after inspecting the main campus of the National Academy of Sports in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
Duterte admitted that he initially hesitated to stop e-sabong operations because it generated PHP640 million in revenues per month.
“I realized very late and I am very sorry that it had to happen. Hindi ko akalain na ganoon, hindi naman ako nagsusugal (I did not expect it to be that way). I do not gamble, I do not drink anymore, only water,” he added.
Duterte said e-sabong created “disorder” and inflicted “pain” in society because it caused families to fall apart.
“‘Pag na-dysfunctional, sige away. Maghiwalay ‘yan. Ito ang segue ng babae. ‘Pag nag-away ‘yan, gulo na ang pamilya, maghiwalay, ang mga bata… (If they become dysfunctional, they fight. They split up. When they fight, the family will be in chaos. They will split up, and the kids…),” he said.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) projected a revenue loss of up to PHP5 billion from e-sabong activities for 2022.
Duterte stopped e-sabong operations in May in the wake of the still-unresolved disappearance of some e-sabong aficionados in the country.
He cited reports on how some aficionados were sleep-deprived because they were getting addicted to online cockfighting.
Senators earlier urged Duterte to suspend the license to operate of e-sabong operators and immediately stop all related activities until the cases of the 31 missing cockfighting aficionados are resolved.
However, the President rejected their calls since the government was earning billions of pesos from the betting game.
He instead asked Congress to regulate the operations of e-sabong by issuing a legislative franchise.
Darlynz Gomez
June 15, 2022 at 11:39 AM
why did you allow to operate e-sabong mr. president in the first place you know what are the bad effects of e-sabong and you know how many people are died and losses because of e-sabong. Binayaran kaba to allow e-sabong?Bad decision mr. president.
Cecille Moreno
June 15, 2022 at 4:19 PM
I believe that the president should not blame himself too much for the damage that online cockfight have caused.In the first place gamers should be responsible for their own vices ,set your limitations ,know when to stop betting.If I’m not mistaken this was approved due to our countrys falling economy and falling economy means less jobs and more poverty.On the other hand,the greedy and the unfaltered gamblers use this to take lives of those who are badly hooked and in debt.they are the ones who should be blamed and punished.
Mary Joy Valdevieso
June 17, 2022 at 8:03 AM
As time goes by I am finally starting to appreciate this President. He maybe not the best President but he’s also not the worst. I think he shouldn’t be sorry for this because if the people has discipline and know their limitations there won’t be any conflict. I can say that during the Pandemic this kind of e-sabong keep the mind of the gamers sane, nasobrahan nga lang yung iba. And besides the President’s reason are acceptable, it’s because it generate high revenues that can help our economy. But because people are so out of their minds, this is what happened, it wasn’t the president’s fault it was their own fault to ruin their family, ruin their life and ruin their self. I hope Filipinos will reflect from this and learn their lessons. This is just a kind of recreational activity for us to enjoy after a long and tiring day, this is not a work wherein we put our life here to live our future in a better way.