TWO incumbent barangay officials and a barangay worker were nabbed for illegal cockfighting in Iligan City Sunday afternoon, February 19.
Authorities arrested Bunawan village chief Efren Semblante, Tomas Cabili chairman Cesarve Siacor, who is also the president of the Association of Barangay Council and Roque Cobrado, member of Bunawan Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team after the three were caught indulging in unsanctioned cockfighting at Barangay Bunawan.
Police seized 20 fighting cocks, five dead fighting cocks, two sets of gaff, electrical tape, assorted bags and P2,000 bet money.
Iligan City police director Senior Superintendent Leony Roy Ga said the three suspects were arrested for allegedly organizing and promoting the illegal derby.
"Daghan tawo during the operation and sila ang prominent and allegedly sila ang nangulo para himoon ang illegal nga tari-tari. Gahapon allegedly si Kapitan Siacor gi-invite daw ni Kapitan Semblante (There were many people in the operation and they are prominent and allegedly started this illegal cockfighting. Captain Siacor allegedly invited Captain Semblante yesterday)," Ga added.
Ga ordered his men to check how long the illegal derby in the area has been operating before the weekend's raid.
The suspects were detained at the jail facility of Iligan City's Police Station 3 while authorities are pressing the charges for violations of Presidential Decree 449 or the cockfighting law.
In Cagayan de Oro City, 16 persons were arrested during the police anti-illegal gambling operations since Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa declared the war on illegal gambling on February 13.
The data from the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office showed that 12 operations have been conducted from February 10 to 20 which resulted to the confiscation of more than P1,000 accumulative money from illegal gambling activities.
The type of illegal gambling subject to the operations are categorized as "others" on the data.