MANILA: The Philippine police have busted a group behind an electronic cockfighting (“e-sabong”) operation conducting around 500 cockfights daily in a Manila coliseum, resulting in the arrest of 174 people, mostly bettors.
Colonel John Guiagui, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the National Capital Region, told reporters that they raided the coliseum in Vitas, Tondo, on Tuesday (March 24) night based on information they received late 2025 about the illegal activity.
Col Guiagui estimated that around 500 cockfights that could be viewed online were being conducted daily at the coliseum compared to 300 under then gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang.
“A traditional cockfight will take 30 minutes at least. There are eliminations until a champion emerges. In this case, the cockfights were held continuously as they were relying on the bets made on their site,” he said.
Round-the-clock fights
“Even if there were no more people in the coliseum, the cockfights went on for the whole 24 hours,” Col Guiagui added.
He said that of the 174 individuals who were arrested at the coliseum, 136 were found to be bettors. They were released after they gave the police their personal information and statements.
On the other hand, 28 others who turned out to be management officials, tellers, information technology specialists, camera operators and cockfight referees were taken into custody by the Manila Police District.
They will face charges of violating the cockfighting and illegal gambling laws and the Philippines’ Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Aside from making arrests, the authorities also seized 48 sets of computers and three tripod cameras during the operation.
The police, however, will have to apply for a cyber warrant to access the contents of the equipment and determine how much money the group was making through the e-sabong games, Col Guiagui said.
Confiscated as well were 24 live roosters, several sets of cockfighting gaff, betting stubs and pot money totalling 3,520 pesos (S$75).
Village officials clueless
According to Col Guiagui, barangay officials in the area claimed to have no knowledge of the illegal activity.
The criminal investigation official said they were coordinating with legal officers as well as the Games and Amusement Board and the Anti-Money Laundering Council to track down other people who could also be involved in the operations and possible cases to be filed against the bettors.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte banned online cockfights in May 2022, citing its adverse effects after at least 34 cockfight enthusiasts (”sabungeros”) went missing between 2021 and 2022. A witness claimed that Ang had ordered them killed for cheating.
The gambling tycoon, who along with 21 others were charged in December with multiple counts of kidnapping over the disappearance of the sabungeros, has gone into hiding since then.
Despite numerous police raids on his properties and a 20 million pesos bounty for any information leading to his capture, Ang remains at large.
Asked for updates about the manhunt for Ang, Col Guiagui told reporters, “Our search for him continues and we are not losing hope that we will catch him.” - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
