The First Provincial Mobile Force Company arrested 53 men caught engaging in illegal cockfighting activity on Saturday, June 29, 2020 in Sitio esi, Barangay Kal-anan, Tabogon, Cebu. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | Police Lt. Col. Randy Korret
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Tabogon Police Station has filed raps for violations of the Cockfighting Law, in relation to illegal gambling, against 57 persons, including a barangay chief, over an illegal cockfight activity held in the town’s Barangay Kal-anan last Saturday, June 27, 2020.
Police Lieutenant Jito Buloron, chief of the Tabogon Police Station, said the 57 persons include the 53 men whom they arrested last Saturday, three others believed to be the organizers of the tigbakay or illegal cockfight, and the village chief of Barangay Kal-anan.
The three alleged organizers, who were identified by those who were arrested, remain at large, Buloron told CDN Digital.
READ: 53 men caught engaging in ‘tigbakay’ in Tabogon, Cebu
Buloron said the accused are scheduled for arraignment before the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) in Borbon, which has jurisdiction over the town.
Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) Director Colonel Roderick Mariano, in a separate interview, said they decided to include the barangay captain in the filing of the charges after they found out that the illegal cockfighting activities in the barangay had been going on for a long time.
“As per sa report noong mga naglalaro doon, it has been a long time na nagkakaroon ng sabong doon so we don’t think na hindi nya alam yung mga tigbakay sa area niya kaya sinama natin sya doon sa kaso,” Mariano said.
(As per report of those who joined there, it has been a long time that cockfighting was held there so we don’t think that he didn’t know that there was tigbakay in his area that’s why we included him in the case.)
“Alam naman natin na may kakulangan talaga yung kapolisan natin. We cannot be [there] sa lahat ng lugar namin, sa mga barangay at sityo, dahil kulang talaga. It is the responsibility ng mga barangay officials na if there is a violation on the quarantine guidelines, it should be reported to authorities,” Mariano added.
(We all know there is a shortage in policemen. We cannot be in all our areas in the barangays and sitios because we are really short of men. It is the responsibility of the barangay officials that if there is a violation on the quarantine guidelines, it should be reported to authorities.)
The police official added that the law enforcers did not lack in reminding the local officials against condoning the illegal activities in their areas of jurisdiction.
“Maraming barangay chairman na tayong nahuli. Lahat yun ay nabalita. We keep on reminding, we keep on telling barangay officials to help us with the quarantine guidelines,” Mariano said.
(We have arrested a lot of barangay chairmen. All of that made the news.)
Meanwhile, Buloron said they will continue to monitor the town for possible re-emergence of the illegal cockfighting activities.
“Among gimonitor ron kay kini sila siguro mo-undang lang ning one week or two weeks unya mobalik na pod,” Buloron said.
(We continue to monitor this because these guys would stop for one week or two weeks and then return again.) /bmjo