THE Lower House of Congress has approved the proposed law to permanently ban electronic sabong or e-sabong, which continues to operate despite being prohibited by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
No one objected when it was put to a vote in the House committee on games and amusement led by Cavite Rep. Antonio Ferrer, the House Bill (HB) 9996 authored by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and House Resolution (HR) 1559 by Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez.
During the initial hearing of the committee on the said proposal, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) president and CEO Wilma Eisma stated that their agency supports the total ban on e-sabong.
According to officials, despite Duterte’s ban on e-sabong in 2022, which was supported by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., it continues to thrive. In fact, as of August, PAGCOR reportedly submitted 3,050 illegal e-sabong websites to the Department of Information Communication Technology (DICT) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“It’s still growing,” Eisma said, as the reported e-sabong websites are immediately replaced by operators that sound similar to the previous ones, and they allegedly add new betting options for sabungeros.
Rodriguez stated that everyone, including law enforcers, is united in banning e-sabong, which is why the committee was urged to approve the said proposal promptly. “For me, sabong, especially illegal sabong, ruins people’s lives,” Gomez added.
The committee will form a technical working group (TWG) to draft a final proposal before presenting it to the plenary for ultimate approval.”
