4 arrested for illegal cockfighting in Iloilo City

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Four individuals were arrested during an anti-illegal gambling operation on the afternoon of Feb. 22 at Barangay Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City.

Police apprehended alias Bert, 44; alias Carl, 26; alias John, 58; and alias Rod, 57, all residents of Barangay Ingore.

Members of the Iloilo City Police Office-City Intelligence Unit, together with Iloilo City Police Station 2 and the Iloilo City Mobile Force Company, caught the four suspects in the act of engaging in “pauwak,” an illegal cockfighting event in violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602.

Pauwak is an unsanctioned form of cockfighting typically held in open areas without government authorization, distinct from legal sabong conducted in licensed cockpits.

Police confiscated two fighting cocks, an improvised ring net, PHP 1,300 in bet money, and a belt bag.

The suspects are detained at Iloilo City Police Station 2 pending proper disposition and filing of appropriate charges.

The Iloilo City Police Office reiterated its strong stance against all forms of illegal gambling, emphasizing that such activities disrupt peace and order and negatively affect families and communities.