STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON SENATE RESOLUTION ON E-SABONG

I stand with my co-senators in urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to suspend the license to operate of "e-sabong" operators until the cases of the 31 missing cockfight enthusiasts or "sabungeros" are resolved.

The disappearance of the sabungeros — which allegedly involved game-fixing, the participation of armed men, the supposed lack of CCTV footage, and the circulation of fake photos — must be investigated.

Hence, I fully support the ongoing Senate probe that will hopefully lead to the resurfacing of the 31 missing sabungeros and institutionalize measures moving forward to ensure that these disappearances won't happen again.

If there are criminal elements behind this, they must be brought to justice immediately.