Caloocan barangay officials allegedly involved in cockfight surrender

The chairman and other officials of a barangay who were allegedly involved in cockfighting activities despite the enhance community quarantine heeded warnings and surrendered to authorities, Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan said Saturday.

Barangay 129 Chairman Brix John Rolly Reyes, and Kagawad Alfie Lacson, Romualdo Reyes and John Cris Domingo reportedly staged a cockfight at the Manila North Cemetery on Good Friday.

Malapitan had urged the village officials to surrender, otherwise he would be forced to order a manhunt against them.

Reyes had called Malapitan on the phone to surrender, after which Reyes and his companions were immediately taken into custody by the Caloocan City Police.

Reyes would be eventually turned over to the Manila Police Department, which had jurisdiction over the Manila North Cemetery, to face the whatever charges were levelled against him.

Nevertheless, Malapitan said that the Caloocan government would file its own administrative case and the barangay officials would be preventively suspended.

"Hindi palalagpasin ng inyong lokal na pamahalaan ang sinuman sa mga opisyal na napatunayang lumabag sa batas lalong lalo na kung siya ay may sinumpaang tungkuling maging tapat sa taong bayan lalong lalo na sa oras ng kagipitan o sakuna,” Malapitan said.

The mayor, however, vowed that authorities would listen to the barangay official's side and that justice would be even-handedly rendered. — DVM, GMA News