EXPLAINER: Why individuals get arrested due to spider-fighting

Cebu City: Fighting spiders send 42 gamblers in Parian jail. In photo are the improvised fighting spider arena on a table, the boxes containing spiders and the P2,700 cash used as bet money confiscated from the illegal gamblers. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines —In some countries, like the Philippines, a combat game where spiders are placed at opposite ends of a long stick and made to fight has become a favorite pastime for many locals.

Children, typically boys, hunt for spiders in nearby trees and bushes. The insects they catch are then placed inside matchboxes until the owner finds an opponent.

During the game, the spiders are positioned at opposite ends of a stick, prodded until they meet in the middle, and fight.

‘Sabong sa kakâ’

For Cebuanos, this game is locally known as “pasabong ug damang” or “sabong sa kakâ.”

Over the years, even adults have grown fond of the sport as an entertaining way to pass the time.

Locals, especially in rural areas, gather along the streets and challenge each other to fights.

While engaging in spider derbies does not violate any laws, it becomes illegal once money is involved.

Individuals who place bets on their favored spiders may face jail time, as it is considered a form of illegal gambling.

Presidential Decree No. 1602

Presidential Decree No. 1602, as amended by Republic Act 9287, outlines the legal penalties for violators of anti-illegal gambling laws.

Under this decree, individuals caught engaging in any game scheme where money or articles of value are involved can be arrested and charged.

Violators face the penalty of prison correctional in its medium period, which ranges from 2 years, 4 months, and 1 day to 4 years and 2 months.

They are also required to pay a fine ranging from P1,000 to P6,000.

Spider-fighting in Cebu City

In Cebu City, a total of 46 individuals were jailed for betting on spider-fighting games in two different barangays on Tuesday, September 24.

These arrests followed a report from a citizen complaining of a ruckus disturbing local residents.

Forty-two men, aged 18 to 46, were caught in the act of gambling on spider fights inside a house in Barangay Logera.

Hours later, four more individuals were apprehended for the same crime in Doña 1, Barangay Punta Princesa.

Personnel from the Parian Police Station have filed charges of illegal gambling against the 42 arrested individuals, as of this writing.

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Similar charges are being prepared against the four suspects arrested in Barangay Punta Princesa.

A simple game of spider-fighting to pass the time has led these individuals to jail and legal consequences.

It is important to remember that while spider-fighting itself is not illegal, placing bets during these games is against the law.

Additionally, some discourage the practice due to its potential harmful effects on both the participants and the captured spiders, which play an important role in the ecosystem.