Prexy bet Gonzales on e-sabong: Dapat alisin

Presidential candidate and former Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales on Wednesday expressed opposition to the continuous operation of online cockfighting or "e-sabong."

Interviewed during Go Negosyo-One News' "Kandidatalks" series, Gonzales likened e-sabong to a politician's false promise.

"Dapat alisin, alisin na yan, sugal yan eh. Alam niyo mahirap yan kasi dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay ay -- ginagawa rin ng mga ilang politiko natin yan -- binubuhay natin ang ating mga kababayan sa pangako, yung pangako na alam mo namang hindi magkatotoo pero pangako eh,” he said.

(E-sabong should be stopped because that's gambling. You know, because life is hard -- and politicians are also doing this -- we give the public false promises, promised that we know can't be fulfilled.)

"Pinapaganda mo yung pangako baka matupad. Yang e-sabong ganyan din yan eh, may pangako na tatama ka, na mananalo yung manok mo. Yung ganyang bagay simulan na natin alisin nang dahan-dahan sa lipunan,” he added.

(They make beautiful promises hoping it will come true. The e-sabong is also like that, there is a promise that you will win. Let us start removing it gradually from our society.)

President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier said he is not keen on suspending the operation of online cockfight betting considering the billions of pesos in income that the government receives from it.

Calls for the suspension of e-sabong operations came after over 30 "sabungeros" or cockfight enthusiasts from different areas went missing and believed abducted in recent months.

Duterte said the disappearance of persons involved in e-sabong should not be blamed on online cockfighting operations but on "evil men doing something wrong.”

The disappearances of over 30 cockfight enthusiasts are currently being investigated by the police and the National Bureau of Investigation.  —KBK, GMA News