Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2625

Introduced by Rep. Sonny L. Lagon, Party List, AKO BISAYA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Cockfighting is an ancient spectator sport. It was partly a religious and partly a political
institution in ancient Athens and was continued for improving the seeds of valor in the minds of
their youth. It then evolved into a common pastime, without any political or religious intention.

Cockfighting is very popular in the country. Some see it as a form of gambling while others
see it a sport. For some, cockfighting is an institution and a national recreation.

It has been said that long before the establishment of Spanish Catholicism, the practice of
pitting two trained cocks against each other had been thriving in local shores. When Ferdinand
Magellan arrived in 1521, it was already a roaring spectacle. Pigafetta’s account on the Spanish’s
fleet arrival at “Polaoan” (now known as Palawan) included this observation.

For Filipinos, sabong is more than just entertainment. The sport is considered as a very
important part of the Filipino culture that dates back to 6000 years ago. Filipinos, are very fond of
the game that the Philippines is now generally considered as the Mecca of the sport. In fact, the
country had hosted the grandest of international cockfighting spectacles including the “Olympics
of Cockfighting” as well as numerous international gamefowl expositions.

In recent years, cockfighting in the country has climbed to a whole new level. It has become
a booming Billion-Dollar industry that has not only captured the heart of the entire nation, but
also the world at large. With prestigious international derbies held regularly in the country,
cockfighting aficionados from all over the world has constantly streamed into the country helping
spur the continued growth of the industry to provide a steady source of revenues for the
government and thousands of jobs to Filipinos.

It is estimated that the Philippine gamefowl industry's worth now stands at around P60
billion and is exhibiting a constant upward trend. It covers production of gamefowl feed and
veterinary products; manufacturing of related equipment and tools such as incubators, knives
(ari), cords (tali), wing and leg bands, feeders and waterers; breeding; cockpit facilities and other
related undertakings.


The industry provides job opportunities to individuals directly or indirectly engaged in the
sport such as sentenciadors (individuals who officiate the fight), gaffers (mananari), kristo (bet-
takers), informal cock doctors (manggagamot), farmhands and cockpit vendors in the hundreds of
cockpits across the country. Indirectly, the industry also provides employment to thousands of
workers in feed mills and manufacturers of veterinary products.

With constant growth over the years, the industry is seen to grow even more. As the number
of foreign cockfighting aficionados participating in local derbies continue to rise, some of whom
have partnered with local breeders to establish more breeding farms in the country, new players
can be expected to engage in the manufacture of feed and veterinary products, with more job
opportunities likewise to be expected.

The burgeoning industry, however, is governed by an antiquated law that no longer
conforms to the demands of the times. At the present, the conduct of cockfighting is governed by
Presidential Decree No. 449 which was issued in 1974.

After forty-five years, it is necessary that the law be updated to keep up with the
developments in the field, meet new challenges and provide new opportunities. It is necessary to
come up with a new law that will provide measures and standards that ensure fairness in the
conduct of the sport and likewise ensure that the government gets its fair share to boost its
charitable programs.

In view of the above premises, the prompt approval of this proposed measure is earnestly

sought and recommended.
fe

SONNY L. LAGON
Party-List, AKO BISAYA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2625

Introduced by Rep. Sonny L. Lagon, Party List, AKO BISAYA

AN ACT REGULATING COCKFIGHTING

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Revised Cockfighting Law of
2019”.

SECTION 2. Scope. —This Act shall govern the establishment, operation, maintenance and
ownership of cockpits.

SECTION 3. Declaration of Policy. - \t is hereby declared the policy of the State to
preserve local customs and traditions that promote national identity; effectively regulate
cockfighting as a national recreation; and maximize its potential as a revenue source for tourism
and charitable programs.

SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act, the following terms shall be
understood, applied and construed as follows:

(a) Cockfighting — embraces the commonly known game or term hackfight, derby, ulutan,
pintakasi or tupada or its equivalent terms in different localities;

(b) Zoning Law or Ordinance ~ national, local, city or municipal legislation which logically
arranges, prescribes, defines and apportions a given political subdivision into specific land
uses as present and future projection of needs warrant;

(c) Promoter or Host — a person or group of persons; association or federation who puts up a
cockfighting event.

(d) Casador or Pit Manager - a person who calls and takes care of the bets from owners of
opposing gamecocks and those of other bettors before he orders the commencement of the
fight and thereafter distributes won bets to the winners after deducting a certain
commission.;

(©) Gaffer — a person knowledgeable in the art of arming fighting cocks with gaffs or blades
in either or both legs;

(f) Referee (Sentenciador) — A person who watches and oversees the proper gaffing of fighting
cocks, ensures that the fighting cocks are in normal fighting conditions before the
commencement of the fight, determines their physical condition while the fight is in


progress, the injuries sustained by the cocks and their capability to continue fighting and
decides and make known his decision by word or gestures and the result of the cockfight
by announcing the winner or declaring a tie or no-contest game.

(g) Participant or Entry Owner — a person who enters a cockfighting event as a player or
participant.

(h) Bettor — a person who participates in cockfights and with the use of money, bets with other
bettors through the bet taker or promoter and wins or loses his bet depending upon the
result of the cockfight as decided and announced by the referee or sentenciador. He may
be the owner of one of the fighting cocks or not.

SECTION 5. Cockpits and Cockfighting: In General:

(a) Ownership, Operation and Management of Cockpits. - Only Filipino citizens not
otherwise disqualified by law shall be allowed to own, manage and operate cockpits.
Cooperative capitalization shall be encouraged.

(b) Establishment of Cockpits. - Only one cockpit shall be allowed in each city or
municipality, except in cities and municipalities with a population of over one hundred
thousand, in which case one cockpit may be established, maintained and operated for
every population of one hundred thousand.

(c) Cockpits Site and Construction. — Cockpits shall be constructed and operated within
the appropriate areas as prescribed by applicable Zoning laws and ordinances. In the
absence of such law or ordinance, local chief executives shall ensure that no cockpits
are constructed within a radius of five hundred meters from residential areas, schools,
hospitals, churches and public buildings. Owners, lessees or operators of cockpits
which are now in existence and do not conform to this requirement are given three
years from the passage of this Act to comply herewith. Approval or issuance of building
permits for the construction of cockpits shall be made by the city or municipal engineer
in accordance with their respective building codes or ordinances.

(d) Holding of Cockfights. Except as provided in this Act, cockfighting shall be held only
in licensed cockpits. Provided, that barangays may hold cockfights outside of licensed
cockpits during fiestas and other local holidays subject to approval by the local chief
executives concerned. Provided, further that proceeds thereof shall redound to the
sponsoring barangay’s general funds after deducting the permit fees and all expenses
necessary thereto.

(e) Cockfighting for Entertainment of Tourists or for Charitable Purposes. Cockfighting to
be conducted outside of licensed cockpits for the entertainment of foreign dignitaries
or tourists, returning overseas Filipinos, or for the support of fund raising campaigns
for charitable purposes may be authorized by the Games and Amusements Board upon
request by the Department of Tourism or the local government hosting the said events
upon payment of reasonable fees prescribed by the Board.


(f) Other Forms of Games or Gambling Prohibited in Cockpits. No gambling of any kind
shall be permitted within the premises of licensed cockpits at any time except upon the
issuance of a special permit by the local government unit concerned during fiestas, local
holidays. carnivals, expositions or agricultural, commercial or industrial fairs.

SECTION 6. Licensing of Cockpits. Permits for the construction, maintenance and
operation of cockpits shall be issued by the City or Municipal Mayor of the locality concerned
subject to applicable laws or ordinances. For this purpose, local government units may promulgate
ordinances for the imposition of reasonable taxes and fees.

SECTION 7. Cockfighting Officials. Gaffers, referees, promoters, hosts, casadors and pit
managers shall not act as such in any cockpit authorized herein, without first securing a license to
be issued by the Games and Amusements Board upon payment of reasonable fees. A mayor's
permit may be required for the issuance of such licenses.

It shall be the duty of cockpit operators to ensure that said cockfighting officials are duly
licensed by the Board and that they wear proper uniform and identification cards during cockfights.

SECTION 8. Penalty Clause. Any violation of this Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated pursuant hereto shall be penalized as follows:

(a) By prision correctional in its maximum period and a fine of fifty thousand pesos
(P50,000), with subsidiary penalty of imprisonment in case of insolvency, when the
offender is the financer, owner, manager, operator, gaffer, referee or bet taker; or the
offender is guilty of allowing, promoting or participating in any other kind of gambling
in the premises of the cockpit.

(b) By prision correctional or a fine not less than thirty thousand pesos (P30,000) or both
such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court, with subsidiary imprisonment
in case of insolvency, in case of any offender.

SECTION 9. Rules and Regulations. ~The Games and Amusements Board, in consultation
with the Department of the Interior and Local Government shall promulgate the necessary rules
and regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this Act and for the issuance of licenses
for gaffers referees, promoters, hosts, casadors and pit manages. The Board, in consultation with
respected personalities and entities in the gamefowl industry and cockfighting leagues, shall
promulgate a Standard Cockfighting Rule that shall be implemented all over the Philippines.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees and orders inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,