City Council looks into legality of cockfighting

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The committee on games and amusement of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) in Iloilo City will convene cockpit operators and stakeholders to shed light on legal questions trained at the operations of the cockpit arenas.

Councilor Carlos “Jojo” Javellana, chairman of the committee on games and amusement, said he invited cockpit stakeholders to check the status of their franchises.

“Ipatawag ta ang mga cockpit operators ta para mahibaluan ta ang ila status and franchise ilabi na gid ang tatlo ka cockpit arena diri sa siyudad,” Javellana said in an interview on Tuesday.

Javellana was referring to the three legal cockpit arenas in the city – Rockwell Cockpit Arena in Lapuz district, Iloilo Coliseum in Jaro district, and the Mandurriao Cockpit Arena in Mandurriao district.

The franchise of the Rockwell Cockpit Arena at Brgy. Don Esteban in Lapuz district is under question and was even the subject of an anti-illegal gambling raid by the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).

The operatives invited the cockpit operators and bettors in the police station but they argued that they were only holding a “sparring session,” and not an actual game. They were later released from detention.

However, authorities found out that the operators failed to secure a special permit for the said event.

“Wala sila special permit sa ligad nga event. Ang special permit gina-grant na namon after maka-submit sila letter to the mayor then i-approve ni mayor. Gina-indicate sa letter kon ano ang activity, ano ang date and time,” Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) head Norman Tabud said in a separate interview.

According to Javellana, while Rockwell has a franchise, it needs to secure a special permit, especially if the event in the cockpit arena is scheduled on weekdays.

“Sa pag-intindi ko legal ang tanan nga games basta weekend ukon Saturday and Sunday pero illegal kon i-held from Monday to Friday, kinahanglan may special permit sila kay ma-consider ina illegal gambling,” he said.

Javellana said they will discuss the status of the franchise of Rockwell in their upcoming meeting including the two other cockpit arenas in the metro.

“Kinahanglan nga maistoryhan na ni naton ang mga status nila pati ang ila mga permit and legality para maklaro na kay sila man mismo nakulbaan man sila basi ma-raid sila,” he said.