A 30-year-old woman in Bacolod City, allegedly an accountant, was arrested for one of 40 counts of qualified theft.
A warrant of arrest was served against alias “Erika” who allegedly defalcated company funds worth approximately P900,000.
She has spent reportedly the money within two years.
“Nire-remit ng kanyang salesman daily between P500,000 to P1 million, kumukuha siya ng P10 hanggang P20,000. Kumukuha siya mga tatlong beses kada linggo. Nang nag-audit na, doon na nakita na malaki ang losses ng kanilang company,” Police Captain Glenn Montaño, chief of Bacolod City Police Station 10, said.
The suspect admitted allegedly to the police that she squandered the money in online ‘sabong’ (cockfighting) and e-gambling (electronic gambling).
“Naka-click raw siya ng link sa kanyang cellphone. Nag-online gambling, tumataya siya [sa] e-sabong. Ayaw naman daw niya sana kasi may namamatay na mga manok, nagbe-bet lang siya,” Montaño added.
Police learned that the woman has been with the company for a decade already, so she was entrusted with money handling. However, the police did not divulge details on the company.
The court recommended bail worth P1.3 million for the temporary liberty of the suspect.
GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas sought an interview with the suspect at Police Station 10, but she declined.
On August 14, 2025, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ordered all e-wallets to unlink online gambling sites from their respective platforms within 48 hours.
The Roman Catholic Church approves highly of the order.
“Sa age bracket, walang limit, seniors, parents, mga young people, bata pwedeng makilahok. Hindi sila ginagabayan sa mabuting direksyon. Nagbibigay ng false hope, in the end, hindi pala mabuti,” said Msgr. Ronald Quijano, rector of San Sebastian Cathedral.
A few Bacolodnons owned up to their previous e-sabong addiction but vowed never to be involved again.
“The more na humahabol ka, the more na matatalo ka. Muntik na akong iwan, ang sweldo ko, ginagamit lang online,” Junjun, a resident, said.
“Naaadik ako sa maliit lang. Malaki ang utang mo kung nagsusugal ka,” Greg, another resident, said.
