Lacson: Weigh social costs of e-sabong before regulation

The government should take a second look at the regulation of online sabong considering its social costs to Filipinos, presidential aspirant and Senator Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday.

He made the statement at Go Negosyo-One News' "KandidaTalks" when asked about his position on the continued operations of online sabong despite the calls from the senators to temporarily suspend at least 8 licenses following the disappearance of some 34 cockfight enthusiasts.

"Dapat munang tingnan, ‘yung social problems na nag-e-emanate galing sa e-sabong. So, kailangan ‘yung pag-regulate ‘nung e-sabong, pag-aralan munang mabuti. Parang step back for a while and study, take a second hard look para maiwasan ‘yung social costs," Lacson said.

(We should look at the social problems that emanate from e-sabong. So the regulation should be studied carefully. We should step back for a while and study, take a second hard look so we could prevent these social costs.)

"Mga OFWs, hindi na makauwi, nawala na ‘yung pamasahe nila kasi tumataya. Kasi nga borderless e, online, ‘yon ang mga problemang nakikita. So, ‘yun ang hiling ng Senado, kung pwedeng suspendihin muna at pag-aralan muna ‘yung mga implikasyon," he added.

(There are OFWs that cannot go back here because their budget for the airfare were used as bets in online sabong. That is the problem, it is borderless because it is online. What the Senate wants to do is to suspend it temporarily and study the implications of this activity.)

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is not keen on suspending the operation of e-sabong, citing billions of income that the government collects from it.

PAGCOR chairperson Andrea Domingo said it is projected to collect up to P8 billion from e-sabong operations this year.

Duterte said even if he ordered the closure of e-sabong, it would still continue through illegal operations.

With Duterte's rejection of Senate's call, Lacson said there should be "at least strict regulation" of e-sabong as it currently operates all day.—LDF, GMA News