The Philippine National Police (PNP) pledged to intensify its campaign against the resurgence of illegal online cockfighting, or e-sabong, operations in the country.
PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police force remains committed to curbing all forms of illegal gambling, despite the challenges posed by the evolving nature of cybercrime.
“We in the PNP remain focused in the campaign to stop all forms of illegal gambling. In the case of online sabong, there are difficulties that are faced along the way, especially with the evolving nature of cybercrimes,” Nartatez said in a statement.
“But we continue to take all these difficulties as a challenge to further improve and come up with new measures to address the problem,” he added.
The renewed push comes after several senators on Wednesday criticized law enforcement agencies over the continued operation of e-sabong platforms, despite a nationwide ban imposed in 2022.
The PNP said police commanders down to the city and municipal levels have been ordered to assist the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) in cracking down on illegal online cockfighting activities.
Although e-sabong remains prohibited, authorities have monitored the persistence of so-called “guerrilla” operations conducted online. The PNP reported that several websites linked to illegal e-sabong activities have already been taken down.
Nartatez directed police units to track livestreams, identify operators using virtual private networks (VPNs) and offshore hosting services, and gather actionable intelligence to support coordinated cyber and ground operations. Authorities are also working to identify the financiers and operators behind these illegal platforms.
The PNP chief urged the public to report information related to illegal e-sabong activities and warned police personnel against any involvement in such operations.
