Separate raids against illegal cockfighting activities lead to the arrest of 5 persons in Medellin, Compostela today. | (file photo) Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two tigbakay or illegal cockfighting raids in one day lead to the arrest of five men in the northern towns of Medellin and Compostela today, May 30.
Police Master Sergeant Orlando Batusin of the Medellin Police Station said that those arrested were identified as Mario Toring, 24; Joey Destacamento, 35; and Vernito Montesclaros, 47; who were all residents of the town’s Barangay Daang Lungsod.
Batusin said that the three men were arrested after Medellin police responded to a call about illegal cockfighting or tigbakay happening in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Antipolo, Medellin town at past 10 a.m.
He said that there were others who were at the tigbakay but they only caught the three men after the crowd watching the tigbakay fled in different directions.
“Sudlonon man gud kaayo kanang dili dali makita (It was a very secluded area in the sitio and it could not easily be seen.),” said Batusin.
Batusin said that the three men were the first to be arrested for illegal cockfighting since the start of province shifted to the general community quarantine (GCQ).
He said that they had responded a couple of times in different instances at the area but they failed to arrest the culprits because they would the notice the police approaching and would stop the tigbakay and no one would be around.
With the arrest of the three men, Batusin said he was hoping that the people in that sitio would stop these illegal cockfighting activities.
Read more: 5 jailed for joining tigbakay in Balamban; organizer escapes
At least 5 hours later or at 2:30 p.m., it was the Compostela Police Station’s turn to arrest illegal cockfighting violators.
Police Captain Vincent Zozobrado, Compostela Police Station chief, said that they responded to a call that a tigbakay was being held in Barangay Tamiao of the town.
Zozobrado said that there they caught William Calo Pareja Jr., 27; and Joel Johnson Cano, 50; who are both residents of Barangay Tamiao.
He said that when they arrived there were a lot of men engaging in tigbakay, but when they arrived, the men fled in different directions and only Calo and Cano were caught.
The tigbakay violators in Medellin were detained at the Medellin Police Station while those from Compostela town were detained at the Compostela Police Station detention cell pending the filing of illegal gambling and illegal cockfighting charges./dbs