The owners of a Tondo cockpit arena criticized the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Friday following the dismissal of an administrative complaint against police officers who raided the establishment in March.

Coliseo de Manila (CdM) filed the complaint against operatives of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) following a 24 March raid on its Vitas, Tondo premises.

The arena’s management alleged that the operation was illegal and that the subsequent 20-day closure of the business was conducted without a valid cyber warrant.

In a statement, CdM rejected insinuations that its complaint was retaliatory, describing it instead as a “bona fide plea” to correct police abuses. Management noted that court applications for a cyber warrant following the raid were denied twice by the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Napolcom dismissed the complaint for lack of probable cause in a two-page resolution dated 29 April, just 16 days after it was filed.

CdM management, which received the resolution on 5 May, called the dismissal “perfunctory” and argued it failed to state the specific facts and laws required by PNP administrative procedures.

The arena’s owners also disputed a recent briefing by PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño, who claimed that CCTV footage showed an officer merely retrieving a betting slip as evidence of illegal online cockfighting.

CdM officials alleged that the police narrative is contradicted by the CIDG’s own evidence.

“The bet slip supplied by CIDG bears the timestamp of 3:59 p.m.,” the statement said. “In contrast, the CCTV footage in question captures the designated officer at approximately 6 p.m. — already during the middle of the raid — pocketing cash from one of Coliseo de Manila’s tellers.”

Management added that at the time the cash was allegedly taken, the arena’s operations had already been disrupted and several tellers were no longer at their posts.

The company stated it remains confident in the merits of its case and intends to seek all available legal remedies to challenge the Napolcom decision.