Local authorities have launched a formal investigation into the illegal operations of an online cockfighting ring known as the "Sabong Grandmaster Cup (SGMC)," which is reportedly operating in violation of the country's ban on e-sabong.

Despite the government's prohibition of online cockfighting, the "Sabong Grandmaster Cup (SGMC)," based in Metro Manila and other neighboring areas, is allegedly hosting clandestine live-streamed matches.

According to initial findings, the venue employs deceptive tactics to manipulate match outcomes, including reviving visibly defeated roosters and declaring them as winners.

These rigged results have reportedly defrauded bettors of millions of dollars each month.

Video evidence reviewed by investigators appears to show that match officials intervene when a rooster is about to be declared the loser, revive it off-camera, and then declare the winner upon its return, effectively misleading viewers and reversing the outcome in favor of the operators.

Local residents have voiced strong concerns and are calling on authorities to shut down the illegal operation and bring the perpetrators to justice. Philippine law enforcers continue to investigate the disappearance of at least 34 individuals allegedly linked to illegal cockfighting activities.

These individuals, mostly aficionados and event organizers, vanished without a trace in Metro Manila and nearby provinces during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when traditional cockfighting was suspended.

Six suspects have been formally charged with kidnapping in connection with the disappearances. In a televised interview aired last Thursday, one suspect alleged that the victims were strangled and their bodies dumped into the crater lake of the active Taal Volcano.

According to investigators, illegal e-sabong operations continued unabated during the pandemic, generating an estimated P620 million per month under unofficial arrangements. A 2022 Senate inquiry revealed that daily bets on online cockfighting had reached as high as P3 billion, and most of the bettors belong to the marginalized sector.

The series of disappearances and mounting allegations of corruption eventually led to a complete ban on e-sabong by former President Rodrigo Duterte. While traditional cockfighting remains legal in the Philippines under regulated conditions, online betting operations are no longer permitted.

Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla stated in a press briefing last week that authorities are examining reports of clandestine burials beneath Taal Lake. "We cannot allow these crimes to go unpunished," Remulla said.

 "It is our duty to uncover the truth, especially in a case as grave as this."

He added that investigators are actively seeking additional witnesses to support the ongoing inquiry.