By Jennifer P. Rendon
At around 1:36 a.m. on Feb 7, 2023, security cameras captured two men sneaking in the back portion of Alexandra Game Farm in Guimbal, Iloilo.
The intruders managed to take away 15 fighting cocks – 12 brood cocks with wing bands and three stags – which were valued at a whooping P1.4 million.
The looters’ brazen act caught the attention of the police since the cock farm located at Sitio Morroco, Barangay Particion, Guimbal, Iloilo is owned by Rep. Chris Anthony Lex Colada of Ang Asosasyon Sang Mangunguma Nga Bisaya-OWA (AAMBIS-OWA) Partylist.
Five hours after the burglary, Guimbal police investigators were only left with a backpack, two bull caps, three pairs of slippers and a fighting cock basket or bayong, which were believed to be personal belongings of the thieves.
Also recovered in the area were the farm’s five fighting cocks with wing bands.
Police believe that the thieves left them in haste.
Three days after the incident, members of Guimbal Municipal Police Station recovered a brood cock from a certain Jay-R Jimenez of Barangay Siya, Tapaz, Capiz.
Emiliano Gevela, handler and Alexandra Game Farm caretaker, positively identified the cock to be one of the 15 stolen game fowls.
On Feb 11, a certain Merland Bluma went to the house of Senior Master Sergeant Noe Gallenero, a member of Tapaz PNP, and voluntarily surrendered five brood cocks.
Bluma claimed that his brother, Ronald Bluma, stole the cocks from Colada’s farm.
Ronald was allegedly with a certain JR Jimenez, Ronilo Gumayao, and Jun Jimenez when they entered the farm.
The following day, the game farm’s employees went to Tapaz PNP and positively identified the cocks.
It appeared, though, that it might not be the first incident of game farm burglary in Iloilo where the suspects are from Tapaz town.
On Feb 1, the Anilao Police Station also recorded a theft incident at a cock farm in Barangay Dangulaan, Anllao.
Melchor Formacion, the cock farm owner, said that his two caretakers learned about the incident around 5 a.m. shortly after they woke up.
Upon checking, 21 fighting cocks went missing after thieves entered the farm around 2 in the morning of the said date.
The stolen cocks were valued at P200,000.
Captain Jersy Besas, Anilao police chief, said they already have persons of interest behind the incident.
As it turned out, Besas and his investigators were also led to Tapaz, Capiz.
The Anilao police and Barotac Viejo PNP members went together to Tapaz town to verify the reports.
“What happened in Anilao has almost the same modus operandi in Barotac Viejo,” Besas said.
But the caretakers have not positively identified their stolen cocks from those that were presented to them.
The high-profile victim in Barotac Viejo has chosen not to put the incident on a police report.
According to Barotac Viejo PNP, the owner also claimed he won’t pursue any criminal charges.
Besas is still not discounting the possibility that there might be individuals who have coordinated their acts in burglarizing cock farms.
“But we could not still consider them as organized,” he said.
Even Colonel Noel Aliño, Iloilo police chief, said they have not monitored any organized group that is into game fowl theft.
“But I already instructed chiefs of police to monitor these individuals who are behind this,” he said.
Meanwhile, a theft incident at a cock farm also happened in Sitio Tuburan, Barangay Trapiche, Oton, Iloilo on Feb 9.
But unlike the three previous cases, the two suspects were arrested.
Ernesto Española Jr., 42, and Ariel Labrador, 31, both residents of Trapiche village, were arrested in a hot pursuit operation.
They allegedly took a fighting cock owned by Christopher Octavio, 45, also a resident of the said place.
Major Fernand Limbungan, Oton police chief, said the case was not settled at the barangay level.
The owner later filed the case in court.
Relatedly, reports also claimed that there have been unreported cases of the same incidents in other towns of Iloilo.
Meantime, police are also verifying if there are previous incidents in Antique province that might be related to what happened in Iloilo,
Police have also raised alerts among sellers and buyers in Boracay, Negros and Cebu.
