Eight individuals were arrested for engaging in tigbakay Saturday night, July 17, in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City. | Photo from CCPO-CIU
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Eight men, including a retired cop, landed in jail for betting in an illegal tigbakay in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City.
They were arrested past 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, following complaints from resident in the area on the noise that the tigbakay was causing.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of Cebu City Police Office Intelligence Unit, said they continue their investigation to determine the tigbakay operator.
Based on their investigation, tigbakay is held in a cockpit that is located in the interior of Barangay Calamba from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Caballes said they conducted surveillance operation for two weeks prior to the Saturday night arrest.
He said at least 30 persons gathered in the area last night but they only collared eight men. The others managed to escape.
The arrested individuals were retired policeman Eugenio Badrina, 63; his son Eaboy Badrina, 24; Leonel Jay Escovillas, 28; Mark Pesons, 36; Zoilo Delos Santos, 59; Gerald Delos Santos, 24; Wilfredo Bercero, 56; and Arcelito Bantecil, 45.
Most of the arrested men were from Barangay Calamba.
Badrina used to be assigned with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) when he was still in the police service, Caballes said.
Cabbales warned Cebuanos who will continue to defy their warnings against illegal cockfights.
He said policemen are deployed to randomly conduct barangay visits and those who are found in cockpits will be arrested.
Meanwhile, Caballes said they will continue with their intensified campaign against illegal gambling even after they noticed a drop especially in tigbakays that are organized in the barangays.
One possible explanation for this, he said, is the operation of online sabong wherein bettors do not have to be physically present to watch cockfights.
“Ang cockfighting kay kasagaran nag shift naman to online. So, majority sa atong mahilig sa sabog is naa na sa online kay dali naman ang pag posta, pagdaug, pagclaim, then even naa ras balay, makasabong sila,” he said.
(Bettors have already shifted online. Majority of the bettors place their bets online because they get to watch the cockfight and its very easy to claim the winnings even if you are at home.)
Still, they will make sure that online sabong operations are legitimate.
Caballes said they are also coordinating with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to monitor illegal online sabong operations.
But for now, they have not received any reports of illegal online sabong operations here.
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