The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday denied allegations that operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) stole money during a raid on an illegal online cockfighting operation in Tondo last month.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño addressed CCTV footage from the 24 March operation at the Coliseo de Manila, which some critics alleged showed an officer taking cash.

Tuaño clarified that the officer seen in the video was actually collecting a “bet ticket” as evidence and using a “pre-arranged signal” to alert his team.

“The movement of our operative was not theft of money but the retrieval of a bet ticket as evidence after he had already entered,” Tuaño said. “After recovering the bet ticket, he signaled his colleagues.”

The raid resulted in the arrest of 174 individuals. Authorities also seized 48 desktop computers used as betting stations, 24 live roosters, cockfighting gaffs, and various cash amounts.

While the PNP maintains that no extortion occurred, Tuaño said the agency remains open to a formal investigation if evidence of misconduct is presented.

To recall, all forms of e-sabong, or online cockfighting, were declared illegal nationwide in 2022 following a series of disappearances linked to the industry and concerns over its social impact.