Eight persons caught in ‘pauwak’

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Eight persons were arrested in the middle of a cockfight morning of September 26, 2021 in Molo, Iloilo City.

Members of the Molo Police Station stormed Zone 3 in Barangay San Juan around 8 am Sunday.

The team led by Lieutenant Marlon Perez nabbed Renato Macabebe, 65; Marino Avilino, 56; Diego Decara, Jr., 23; Diego Decara, Sr., 53; Renato Lacro, 51; and Wilhem Escubio, 44. All are residents of Zone 3, Barangay San Juan.

Also arrested were Edgar Fernandez, 29; and Raul Gagnaw, 30, both residents of Barangay Ortiz, City Proper district.

They were allegedly caught joining an illegal cockfight, or what is locally known as pauwak.

Recovered from their possession were game fowls, 14 gaffs, and P2,150 cash bets.

They are now detained and will be charged for violation of Presidential Decree 449 (Cockfighting Law of 1974).

Since last year, police all over the region have been intensifying operations against illegal cockfighting.

The game continues to thrive despite being outlawed because of the pandemic.

From January to October 2019, Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 conducted five operations, but it shot up to 155 for the same period in 2020 or a whopping 3,100 percent increase.

And it looks like the operations would not cease anytime soon.