CCPO asks cockpit owners: Secure arenas, follow rules

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office has appealed to cockpit owners and managers to take initiative in securing their own arenas along with the implementation of the minimum health standard protocols.

Police Lt. Colonel Janett Rafter, chief of the Operation Branch of CCPO, made the appeal as the reopening of traditional cockpits has been approved by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

According to Rafter, this is also because they can no longer monitor each cockpit arena individually and can no longer deploy police personnel to enforce security in each of their arena.

"We cannot really assign kanang mga individual nga police to certain cockpit arenas. We can maybe call on the organizers, mga owners aning mga cockpits to police their own because pila ka cockpits ning naa diri sa Cebu City, and they will open simultaneously, mahurot atong police to secure them,” said Rafter.

She added, it is also not appropriate to deploy cops in cockpit arenas while wearing their prescribed uniforms even though their assignments in these areas were official police functions and assignments.

“Still we have more important responsibilities sa atong katilingban or we could, tuyok-tuyokan sa atong mga police for inspections,” said Rafter.

It was reported that after two years of waiting, cockfighting arenas in Cebu City will reopen soon, according to Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementer of the city’s Emergency Operations Center.

“After two years, it's about time nga mo open na gyud sila, beside allowed man sad kay alert level 1 naman ang Cebu City but just the same protocols must be complied,” said Garganera.

Under alert level 1, cockfighting is allowed but not in alert level 2 to 5.

“The Mayor gave us the go signal to implement the activities that are allowed in our quarantine or alert level status,” said Garganera.

However, before cockpits can operate again, they need to get the nod from the city’s Game Fowl Commission and follow the existing ordinances regarding its operations aside from complying with the basic health protocols set. — GMR (FREEMAN)