Senator Joel Villanueva stressed on Sunday that the resurrection of online cockfighting or e-sabong, would only be worse than Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
"We have just defeated an enemy with the POGO ban, and now some are considering resurrecting e-sabong, which is far worse because it directly targets our kababayans from all walks of life," Villanueva said in a press release.
He furthered that revenues should come from legitimate, legal, and sustainable sources, instead of gambling.
"No matter how you look at it, the social costs of gambling overshadow the intended benefits," he expressed.
He also highlighted that POGOs were not a viable solution to the government’s lack of revenue as the collections only accounted for a small portion of taxes, even during its height. Similarly, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) required e-sabong operators to pay their tax obligations after a Senate Inquiry found them earning billions from online “talpak.”
E-sabong was banned in May 2022, but operations continue despite the prohibition. During a Senate hearing in February 2024, they found that 789 e-sabong operations are still active. Due to its continuation, law enforcement agencies, including the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), were called to apply rigorous measures against illegal gambling operations.
"Similar to POGOs, e-sabong has brought social costs--worse, it destroys Filipino families, plunges individuals into severe debt, and even forces some to commit theft and crimes to fund their gambling habits," Villanueva said.
"We cannot simply turn a blind eye to the suffering of our people who have become victims of the pitfalls of gambling. Money should not be our only consideration; the welfare of our people must come first," he added.
Senate Bill No. 128, or the prohibition and banning of all forms of online gambling in the country was filed by Villanueva earlier this year.
