Coliseo de Manila files cases vs CIDG

MANILA, Philippines — Administrative complaints were filed by the management of the Coliseo de Manila in Tondo against 10 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group officers whom it accused of stealing cash and other belongings during a CIDG raid on March 24.

Coliseo de Manila lawyer Carl Jon Mucho said the cases were filed before the National Police Commission on April 13 against Col. John Guiagui, CIDG National Capital Region field unit chief, and nine other police officers.

Mucho said P40,000 in cash and 22 fighting roosters were missing after the CIDG raided the Coliseo along Vitas street.

He added that 174 people, including 136 bettors, were rounded up during the operation.

Citing excerpts from the complaint, Mucho said the police officers should be held accountable for irregularities during the operation, which was based on a tip from an anonymous source that the Coliseo de Manila was involved in e-sabong (cockfight) operations.

“The Coliseo has a franchise and a daily permit for traditional cockfights. But they alleged that we are engaged in e-sabong and that our permit has expired, both are not true,” Mucho said in Filipino in a phone interview.

He maintained that the transactions of bettors, unlike e-sabong, are not done through e-wallet applications.

Mucho said the Coliseo operations resumed only last week after obtaining a court injunction.

Guiagui previously said they received reports that online sabong was being held at the coliseum since last year, averaging around 500 fights a day.