A COMPLAINT has been filed against Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and the city’s police chief for allegedly allowing cockfighting events to take place inside a hotel at the South Road Properties on four separate occasions.
Former head of the Cebu City Local School Board and Department of General Services Kristian Hassamal filed the complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Garcia and Cebu City Police Office Director Col. Antonietto Cañete for reportedly allowing several cockfighting events inside the Nustar Resort and Casino, which was not accredited or licensed as a cockpit area.
Hassamal, an ally of dismissed Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, who has a tension with the incumbent mayor, argued that Garcia and Cañete must be administratively held guilty of grave misconduct and prayed for their preventive suspension and dismissal from office.
This was pursuant to Section 24 of Republic Act 6770, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
According to the 11-page complaint dated Nov. 18, 2024, Hassamal said Garcia deliberately disregarded the legal process after issuing several Letters of No Objection (Lono), resulting in the issuance of special permits in favor of Ox KBDF Gaming, the organizer of the cockfighting event held at the hotel on April 21, May 23-24, Aug. 27-29, and Oct. 11-18, 2024.
Based on the cockfighting laws, both Presidential Decree 449 and Cebu City Ordinance 1447, Hassamal said the event must be held only at the licensed cockpit arena, must be held on Sundays, legal holidays, and local fiestas; it should not be held beyond 10 p.m. unless with a special permit from the Gamefowl Commission; and it must not exceed three days.
The complainant argued that the event venue was not a licensed cockfighting area, was mostly held on weekdays, and with no resolution or special permit from the Gamefowl Commission.
These events were also not approved by the City Council, with no concurrence from the barangay, and the number of days allowed to hold a cockfighting event per year has exceeded.
“It was patently clear that the requirement for the proposed events had not yet been complied with or was incomplete, respondent Garcia should not have issued the Lono to the issuance of special permits in favor of Ox KBDF,” read a portion of Hassamal’s complaint.
Meanwhile, the complainant argued that Cañete’s “acquiescence” to these events, considering he is a law enforcer, constituted not only negligence but also failure to implement regulations over the legal requirements of cockfighting based on national and local laws.
Hassamal said Cañete is guilty of violating Article 208 of the Revised Penal Code.
Special permits
On March 20, 2024, the Cebu City Legal Office issued a legal opinion on Garcia’s query on rules and protocol over granting Ox KBDF to issue necessary or special permits to hold the 6’Cock Derby held at Nustar Resort and Casino on April 21.
CLO said the event was in accordance with the city ordinance, yet subject to compliance with necessary requirements.
Garcia issued Lono to Ox KBDF on April 23, for the Seven Cock Derby at the same venue on May 23 and 24, known as May Derby.
A special permit was granted conditionally to Ox KBDF by the Business Permit and Licensing Office for the May Derby, subject to the compliance of a Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution, police clearance, and payment of special permit fees.
The May Derby took place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
On July 3, the organizer, represented by a certain Winley Dela Fuente, requested another special permit for the Seven Stag Derby at the same location for Aug. 27, 28, and 29, called the August Derby.
Garcia issued another Lono in favor of the organizer and addressed it to Cañete on Aug. 15 as a supporting document for the endorsement of the CCPO.
The BPLO, once again, issued a special permit allowing the Cockpit Combat II: Seven Stag Early Birds Edition with the same condition last May 10.
This event was held on a weekday from Tuesday to Thursday and was said to take place from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. but contract papers from the hotel management said the venue was reserved from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Hassamal argued that Ox KBDF filed another request before Garcia for a special permit for the eight-day cock derby event from Oct. 11 to Oct. 18, known as the October Derby.
The City Council denied the conduct of the event, citing the venue was not an accredited arena, but the event pushed through as the organizers claimed it secured a permit from the Games and Amusement Board.
Prayers
The complainant urged the Ombudsman to subpoena witnesses from the Gamefowl Commission, the Secretary of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and a representative from Nustar Resort and Casino.
The Ombudsman was also urged to mandate the witnesses to produce necessary documents such as resolutions, minutes of the meeting, special permits from the Gamefowl Commission relating to the event, resolutions from the City Council, and Lonos from the Mayor’s office
The complainant has urged the Ombudsman to file charges against Garcia for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and against Cañete for violations of the Revised Penal Code.
In a text message on Sunday, Dec. 1, Garcia told SunStar Cebu that he would only comment if he received an official copy of the complaint.