Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4588

HOUSE BILL No.

INTRODUCED by HONORABLE ARNOLFO A. TEVES JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Cockfighting has been around for centuries in all places of the country and it
withstand the test of time because it is more of a tradition and passion rather than
gambling. Breeders raised fighting cocks and fought it in the pit not primarily for
gambling but for honor and prestige and sometimes for big prize money;
cockfighting now has evolved into a hobby, a sporting event and a competition.

The feed and veterinary industry connected to cockfighting is now a multi-
billion industry providing employment for salespersons, technicians, veterinarians,
and agrivet store employees. The breeding and raising of fighting cocks provides
employment for farm workers, handlers, and breeders. The cockpit also provides
employment to gaffers, sentenciadors, bet takers and utility personel, as well as
business opportunities for stall owners and carinderias inside, among others.
Hence, the perceived ill-effect of cockfighting is now outweighed by the benefits
derived from it.

P.D. 449 otherwise known as “The Cockfighting Law of 1974” have obsolete
provisions and does not anymore conform with the demands of time to the point of
holding back the the progress of the cockfighting industry. There is also a pressing
need to harmonize the role of the Local Government Unit and Games and
Amusement Board to have uniform rules and regulations enforceable all over the
country.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

HON. ARNOLFO A. TEVES JR.
Representative
31 DISTRICT, NEGROS ORIENTAL.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

588
HOUSE BILL No.

INTRODUCED by HONORABLE ARNOLFO A. TEVES JR.

AN ACT REGULATING COCKFIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES

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

Sec 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "Revised Cockfighting Law of the
Philippines".

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

Section 3. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared a policy of the State to
promote the welfare of the farmers and the industry affiliated to farming, preserve
local customs and traditions, and progressively regulate cockfighting as a form of
recreation and revenue generation.

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

(a) Cockfighting - It embraces the commonly known game or term
"hackfight, tari, sabong, ulutan, derby, pintakasi or tupada'’, or its
equivalent terms in different Philippine localities.

(b) Regular Cockfighting - It is cockfighting done by matching of roosters
by and between owners only, and being done only on Sundays, legal
holidays and local fiestas.


(c) Derby — It is a form of cockfighting wherein roosters are matched
according to their submitted weights and there is a prize money for the
highest number of wins.

(@) Zoning Law or Ordinance - Either both national or 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.

(e) Promoter - A person or association who puts up a cockfighting event in
coordination with licensed cockpit owners.

() Bet Taker — A person acting on behalf of the promoter and/or cockpit
owner who calls and takes care of bets from owners of both gamecocks
and those of other bettors before he orders commencement of the
cockfight and thereafter distributes won bets to the winners after
deducting the tax and a certain commission.

(g) Gaffer (Taga Tari) - A person knowledgeable in the art of arming fighting
cocks with gaff or gafis on either or both legs.

(h)

Referee (Sentenciador) - A person who watches and oversees the proper
gaffing of fighting cocks, determines the physical condition of fighting
cocks while cockfighting is in progress, the injuries sustained by the
cocks and their capability to continue fighting and decides and make
known his decision by work or gestures and result of the cockfight by
announcing the winner or declaring a tie or no contest game.

(i) Bettor - Any person who participates in a cockfight and bets with the
use of money, bets with other bettors or through the bet taker or
promoter and wins or loses his bet depending upon the result of the
cockfight as announced by the Referee or Sentenciador.

Section 5. Cockpits and Cockfighting: In General:

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

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


(c) Cockpits Site and Construction. New Cockpits, shall be constructed and
operated within the appropriate areas as prescribed in Zoning Law or
Ordinance. In the absence of such law or ordinance, the local government
unit shall see to it that no cockpits are constructed within a radius of five
(500) hundred meters from existing residential area, hospitals, school
buildings, churches or other public buildings. 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,
ordinances or engineering laws and practices.

(4) Holding of Regular Cockfights. Except as provided in this Act,
cockfighting shall be allowed only in licensed cockpits. It may also be held
outside the licensed cockpit during barangay fiestas for a maximum of
three days; provided, it is operated by the licensed cockpit owner of the city
or municipality at the option of the barangay if there are more than one
licensed cockpit in the locality, and that the proceeds thereof shall be
divided equally by the barangay and the cockpit owner after deducting the
permit fees and taxes. Provided, further, that no cockfighting shall be held
on December 30 (Rizal Day), June 12 (Philippine Independence Day)
November 30 (National Heroes Day), Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Election
or Referendum Day and during Registration Days for such election or
referendum.

(e) Holding of Derbies. Derbies can be held only in licensed cockpit after
approval of its application by the Games and Amusement Board.

() Cockfighting for Entertainment of Tourists or for Charitable Purposes.
Subject to the preceding subsection hereof, the Games and Amusement
Board may also allow the holding of cockfighting for the entertainment of
foreign dignitaries or for tourists, or for returning Filipinos, commonly
known as "Balikbayan” or for the support of fund-raising campaigns for
charitable purposes upon request by the Department of Tourism or the
local government unit.

(g) Collection of Amusement Taxes and Fees. All taxes and fees shall be due
to the local government unit where the cockfighting is held in accordance
with its local ordinance.

Section 6. Licensing of Cockpits. Games and Amusement Board (GAB) is
authorized to issue licenses for the operation and maintenance of cockpits
subject to the applicable laws.


Section 7. Cockfighting Officials. Gaffers, referees or bet takers or promoters shall
not act as such in any cockfight herein authorized, without first securing a
license from the Games and Amusement Board upon payment of prescribed fees.
Only licensed gaffers, referees, bet takers or promoters shall officiate in all kinds
of cockfighting authorized in this Act.

Section 8. Penal Provisions. Any violation of the provisions of this Act and of the
rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto shall be punished as follows:

a. By prision correccional in its maximum period and a fine of Fifty
thousand pesos (Php 50,000.00), with subsidiary imprisonment in case of
insolvency, when the offender is the financer, owner, manager or operator
of cockpit, or the gaffer, referee or bet taker in cockfights; 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 correccional or a fine of not less than Thirty thousand pesos
(Php 30,000.00) pesos or both, such imprisonment and fine at the
discretion of the court, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency,
in case of any other offender.

Section 9. Rules and Regulations. The Games and Amusement Board shall
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of the
provisions of this Act.

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

Section 10. Date of Effectivity. This Decree shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
following the completion of the publication in the Official Gazette.

Approved

ARNOLFO “ (OR TEVES, JR.