Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has been ordered to take part in a multi-agency investigation into the disappearance of 31 people linked to the nation’s growing e-sabong, or online cockfighting, industry.
Local media outlet The Inquirer reports that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea has tasked PAGCOR, alongside the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with looking into the disappearances, with their findings to be handed to the Office of the President and the Department of Justice within 30 days. PAGCOR has specifically been ordered to investigate whether any of the Philippines’ licensed e-sabong operators have violated their licenses and to ensure they are in compliance with security and surveillance requirements.
“PAGCOR is also directed to conduct an investigation for any violation of its e-sabong licensees under their existing terms of the agreement, and to ensure the compliance with the security and surveillance requirements under its Regulatory Framework for E-Sabong Off-Cockpit Betting Station, particularly the installation of CCTV (closed-circuit television) systems in e-sabong gaming sites, among others,” said Medialdea by way of a memorandum.
As previously reported by IAG, the unsolved disappearances include 10 men who went missing shortly after being seen in cockfighting arenas in Laguna and Manila on 13 January, another six men after participating in a cockfighting tournament in Manila on the same day and 10 men from Bulacan who have been missing since attended a cockfighting match in mid-2021.
PAGCOR began issuing licenses to selected e-sabong operators in May 2021 in an effort to raise revenues while stamping out illegal online activities.
The regulator said at the time that it “advises the public not to engage in any gaming activity from unlicensed e-sabong operators and unregistered e-sabong websites to avoid being duped and cheated of your hard-earned money.
“It is for the above reasons that PAGCOR had to step in to regulate the emerging industry to primarily protect the Filipino players and to ensure that the government get its appropriate share of revenues from their operations. Without regulation, e-sabong will proliferate and have far reaching detrimental effects on its players.”
