Feathers fly as Philippine cockfighting shakes off Covid closures

Two East Timorese men prepare their roosters for a fight in Dili. Cockfighting is common throughout Southeast Asia. - AFP

San Pedro, Philippines (AFP): In a raucous cockpit in the Philippines, Dennis de la Cruz grins from ear to ear as he watches his roosters slash their opponents to death in a frenzy of blood and feathers.

Shut for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional cockfighting arenas are getting back to full capacity across the archipelago nation.