Twenty four men are arrested after they were caught engaging in tigbakay in Barangay Nangka, Consolacion town in northern Cebu at past 2 p.m. today, November 2, 2020. | Contributed photo
SANTA CATALINA, Negros Oriental —Twenty four men were arrested for illegal gambling after they were caught engaging in “tigbakay” or illegal cockfighting activities in Barangay Nangka, Consolacion town in northern Cebu on Monday, November 2, 2020.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Korret, Cebu Provincial Police office Intelligence Unit head, said that the 24 men believed that cockfighting was now allowed by the government.
But Korret told the arrested men that only cockfighting activities in cockfighting arenas or cockpits would be allowed by the government.
Read: IATF allows cockfighting activities in MGCQ areas
Korret said that “tigbakay” was still considered an illegal cockfighting activity.
“Nabalitaan daw nila na pinayagan na ang cockfighting. Sa guidelines po na pinalabas ng kinauukulan, yung mga cockfighting arena po ang pinayagan pero may mga requirements pa din po yun,” said Korret.
(They heard through the news that cockfighting has already been allowed by the government. But the guidelines that have been released only the cockfighting activities in the cockfighting arena are allowed and despite that, the government have even have requirements to follow to hold a cockfighting activity there.)
Korret said that they got a call from a concerned citizen about the tigbakay happening in the barangay and they responded at past 2 p.m. where they caught the 24 men redhanded.
One of the organizers of the tigbakay identified as a certain Kokoy was able to elude arrest. However, police said they would be including him in the filing of charges on Tuesday, November 3.
Confiscated from the illegal gamblers were two fighting cocks and a betting money of P2,000.
The arrested men were detained at the Consolacion Police Station detention cell pending the filing of illegal gambling charges./dbs