Cockpit establishment denies e-sabong links

Lawyers for a licensed Manila cockfighting establishment disclosed that they will file a battery of criminal and administrative charges against the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) following a controversial 24 March raid.

Atty. Carl Jon Mucho, representing Coliseo de Manila, told reporters during a press conference in Tondo that the establishment is suing for abuse of authority, oppression and grave misconduct.

The cockpit has already filed a civil case in a Manila court seeking injunctive relief to resume operations, as the premises remain padlocked by police.

Mucho argued that the raiding team acted without a search warrant and lacked evidence to support claims that the establishment was engaging in illegal online cockfighting or “e-sabong.”

“There was no online betting system and no illegal gambling activity in our cockpit,” Mucho said. “That has not been proven because it does not exist. It is an in-house cockfighting operation, and computers are utilized only for internal betting.”

The lawyer clarified that while police seized computers they alleged were used for illegal activity, they failed to secure a warrant for forensic examination. Mucho further alleged that the raid was based on unverified information and resulted in “serious legal issues” that the establishment intends to resolve in court.

The management also reported that cash from betting sales went missing during the operation. Furthermore, hundreds of gamecocks were confiscated, a significant number of which have since died in custody, according to the establishment.

The 24 March operation led to the arrest of more than 170 individuals, including employees and bettors. While most were processed, 28 employees were reportedly detained for more than 40 hours.