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Sectoral group criticizes effort to revive e-sabong

Arkipelago News August 10, 2024 at 01:34 PM

MANILA, Philippines — The need to raise funds for government programs and projects should not be pursued through questionable means, asserts a migrant workers’ advocacy group.

In a statement, Dr. Chie Umandap, Chairman of Advocates and Keepers Organization AKO OFW Inc., criticized the push to revive e-sabong, an online betting scheme centered on cockfighting.

While acknowledging the government’s responsibility to fund various initiatives such as infrastructure, education, and healthcare, Umandap emphasized that resorting to previously banned activities due to their documented social harms is unethical.

“In my humble opinion, there are other ways where we can generate revenue, and definitely legalization of e-sabong is not one of them,” Umandap stated.

Citing insider information, Umandap also condemned what appears to be a well-financed lobbying effort aimed at persuading the Philippine Congress to pass a resolution allowing the controversial e-sabong to return.

During a budget hearing by the House Committee on Appropriations, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Al Tengco suggested the need to raise additional funds, mentioning the P6 billion in annual revenue lost due to the e-sabong ban.

“Definitely, sayang din po yung nawalang income. Well, we have studied it and have a few suggestions, and we believe we can enhance the structure or the guidelines [that] were then before. But until a law or an order [from the] President of the Philippines comes out, our hands are tied,” Tengco told the committee.

However, Umandap argues that reviving a questionable online betting scheme that has already caused significant social damage is inappropriate. He insists that cockfight betting should remain confined to traditional cockpit arenas.

“Ang e-sabong ay isang klase ng sugal na pumapasok sa pamamahay [ng] pamilyang Pilipino… nakakasama at nakakasira sa lipunan. Ang sabong ay dapat sa sabungan lang, hindi sa bawat bahay ng ating kababayan.”

“Marami na ang nabaon sa pagkakautang dahil dito, maging sa ibang bansa,” he added, referring to the plight of overseas Filipino workers who have sought help from AKO-OFW after suffering heavy losses from e-sabong.

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