Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano on Thursday urged her colleagues in Congress to regulate e-sabong operations more carefully amid recent debates on the granting of legislative franchises to its operators.
“We should carefully approve these kinds of legislative franchises because the effects of e-sabong, even though the franchises are not yet officially granted, are already severe,” Cayetano said.
“It is clear that we firmly believe that the effects of e-sabong would be adverse once Congress approves its 25-year franchise,” she added.
In September, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill that would grant the e-sabong outlet Lucky 8 Star Quest, Inc. a 25-year legislative franchise.
Shortly after, the House Ways and Means panel, chaired by Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay, approved a bill seeking to grant the Visayas Cockers Club Inc. a similar legislative franchise.
In the Senate, however, e-sabong met with resistance as Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Committee on Public Service, on December 9, 2021 suspended the hearing on granting a 25-year franchise to Lucky 8 Star Quest.
Poe said she was inclined to have the bill go through a technical working group (TWG) that will examine not just the operations but the social ills the game creates.
Cayetano said the House should move “more slowly” regarding the matter.
She said affected families have visited her office to report addiction and debt among their relatives.
While traditional sabong is part of Filipino culture, Cayetano said e-sabong is more accessible and addictive, with young people and overseas Filipino workers having easy access to its gambling platforms.
“We don’t want to see families get broken. If we see that a legislative measure may negatively affect the Filipino family, it is our duty to become vocal about our stance,” she said.
She also called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to strengthen its e-sabong regulations in minimizing the adverse consequences of the said vice.
Her husband, former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, had earlier urged different sectors, especially parents, teachers, and religious leaders, to oppose the legalization of e-sabong and other forms of online gambling.
“Parents, teachers, priests, pastors, ministers, imams, we have to speak up so that we can stop the spread of vices that threaten to destroy our values,” she said.
Cayetano said unlike offline or physical gambling, e-sabong and other forms of online gambling are difficult to regulate.
If we allow online gambling, imagine, your children could easily access these vices at school. You could access these vices at work,” she said.
