Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said the fate of “e-sabong” or online cockfighting is in the hands of Congress.
“We leave it to Congress to do what is necessary,” Guevarra said in a media briefing.
The secretary made the statement even as he defended the move of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to regulate “e-sabong.”
“If Congress believes that a legislative franchise is needed and PAGCOR lacks the power to impose rules and regulations then so be it,” he said.
“But if Congress won’t act, the Executive department has to,” Guevarra pointed out.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) issued earlier legal opinions sought by the PAGCOR, and stated that it is within the jurisdiction of the PAGCOR to regulate “e-sabong.”
“It is specifically stated in the PAGCOR charter although it does not specifically mention ‘e-sabong’ which only recently came into being,” Guevarra said.
Meanwhile, the Guevarra said the National Bureau of Investigation was conducting its probe on the missing “sabungeros” or cockfight afficionados who also bet in “e-sabong.”
He said the investigation was in line with his directive and that issued by President Duterte.
“The NBI has found witnesses. Recently, the NBI found a new witness who can give useful information on what happened to the missing ‘sabungeros’,” he said, but did not elaborate.