Marcos formalizes Duterte's spoken order to suspend e-sabong
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has formalized the suspension of e-sabong operations that his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, verbally ordered but never got around to issuing a written directive for.
“There is an urgent need to reiterate the continued suspension of all e-sabong operations nationwide, clarify the scope of existing regulations, and direct relevant agencies to pursue aggressive crackdown against illegal e-sabong operations, in accordance with law,” Marcos said in Executive Order No. 9 signed Wednesday but made public Thursday.
Marcos’ order suspends live-streaming or broadcasting of live cockfights outside cockpits, cockfighting arenas or any premises where cockfights are held. It also suspends online, remote or off-cockpit betting on cockfighting matches that are streamed or broadcasted live.
Operations of traditional cockfights authorized or licensed under existing laws are unaffected by Marcos’ order.
Marcos directed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to coordinate with local governments, other government agencies and private entities to implement the suspension, while the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police were tasked to assist PAGCOR.
An 'oral' history
Marcos noted that "a nationwide suspension of e-sabong operations was implemented on May 3, 2022," without mentioning that this was only by virtue of a spoken order from Duterte during a taped Cabinet meeting that was belatedly televised.
Duterte said during the meeting that was aired May 3 that he was suspending e-sabong operations upon the recommendation of then Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and promised that an order on the matter will be released the day after.
The executive order formally suspending e-sabong never came.
Duterte had a penchant for issuing spoken orders that agencies promptly implemented even without written directives, with Malacañang then claiming that these were already legal and binding.
Among these verbal orders by Duterte were the closure of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office outlets, the rearrest of those who served their sentences through the expanded Good Conduct Time Allowance law and the ban on the importation and use of e-cigarettes and vapes.
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