THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) is investigating whether the three bodies found in riverbanks in the city are those of alleged cockfighters who escaped a raid conducted by the Baguio Police District.
DCPO Director Kirby John Kraft said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 17, that three bodies were recovered days after the Baguio Police Station conducted a raid on Sunday, February 14, after receiving information about an alleged illegal cockfighting activity in Barangay Gumalang in Baguio District.
He said police authorities arrested 13 people on-the-spot during the raid. The arrested persons are currently detained.
He said, though, that they cannot determine how many people were there during the illegal activity.
Kraft said the bodies were recovered in the riverbanks of Mandug, Tugbok, and Calinan.
He said they cannot yet confirm if these bodies were those of the four missing persons reported by the Baguio police. The four persons allegedly jumped into the river when the raid was conducted.
He said the Baguio police immediately conducted rescue upon learning that some of the escapees jumped into the river, where they were able to rescue three of them alive.
"As to the connection [of the three retrieved bodies] sa nangyaring raid sa sabungan (on the recent raid of the cockfighting event), we are still determining kung connected ba sila sa mga tumalon nung nagkaroon ng raid sa (if these persons are connected to those who jumped into the river when our men conducted a raid against) anti-illegal operations," Kraft said in an AFP-PNP press conference.
He said the three bodies were already identified. Two of the bodies are residents of Gumalang, while one is a resident of Digos, Davao del Sur.
SuperBalita Davao reached out to the Baguio police for further details on the incident but as of Wednesday, February 17, they have not yet responded.
Meanwhile, in a report from dxGM Super Radyo Davao, Baguio Police Chief Police Major Archilles Bargio denied allegations that one of their personnel fired a gun during the raid, which allegedly caused some of the escapees to jump into the river.
He also said that his personnel also tried to rescue them but failed because of the strong current.
Meanwhile, Kraft said they will intensify their operations against cockfighting.
In previous reports, arrested persons involved in illegal cockfighting will face violation of Presidential Decree (PD) 449 as amended by PD 1602 and Republic Act 11332 in relation to Section 4, of Executive Order 47-A of City Government of Davao.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reiterated her warning against individuals who engage in cockfighting, as she already prohibited it in the city.
The mayor had prohibited cockfighting since the city was under community quarantine in late March this year. She also previously advised the cockfighters who were appealing to allow their activities to do their business outside the city where they are permitted.
It can be recalled that one of the sources of the Covid-19 infection in Mindanao was at a cock derby on March 7, 10, and 12, at the New Davao Matina Gallera.