Despite controversies hounding missing ‘sabongeros’, President Rodrigo Duterte defended his decision not to suspend the operations of e-sabong in the country.
Duterte said that the online gaming operation is legal, and that the government earns millions from it.
“‘That’s because e-sabong is legal. When we allow gambling, it’s legal. So you should ask: What has e-sabong done that there’s are killings, whether you like it or not,” Duterte said in his public address.
“You might suspect me of something because I did not stop it. I did not stop it because the government needs the money from e-sabong,” he added.
Duterte said that government earns at least PHP640 million a month from its operations.
“Where will we find that kind of money easily?” he said.
Duterte said the Bureau of Internal Revenue should be in charge of collecting taxes and not Malacañang.
Senators previously proposed to suspend the e-sabong operations over reports of missing cockfighters.
