2 more e-sabong websites identified

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has identified two more websites involved in e-sabong games in defiance of President Duterte’s directive banning online cockfighting.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said yesterday they have monitored 14 websites still showing online cockfighting games.

The number of Facebook pages catering to e-sabong operations remains at eight.

The PNP has informed the Department of Information and Communications Technology and Facebook about the results of its investigation.

“We are waiting for their immediate response so these websites and Facebook pages can be shut down permanently,” she said in Filipino during a Laging Handa briefing.

Offsite betting stations, on the other hand, are still closed in compliance with Duterte’s order on May 3, Fajardo said.

‘Regulate social media’

Department of the Interior and Local Government spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya yesterday called on Congress to pass legislation to regulate social media.

“We call on Congress to follow the lead of other countries and pass legislation to regulate social media. Facebook must be held liable for any illegal content on their sites,” he said in a statement.

Malaya accused Facebook of having “inexplicably allowed e-sabong in its platform” despite online cockfights being banned.

He said that when Facebook took down e-sabong pages and accounts on Thursday, it was a “much delayed response” to the request by Philippine authorities. – Romina Cabrera