PNP arrests over 170 for illegal e-sabong ring in Manila, Nartatez vows crackdown
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Philippine National Police arrested more than 174 individuals during a raid at an underground coliseum to dismantle an electronic "e- </think>
Key Points
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1Philippine National Police arrested approximately 170 to 174 individuals during a major operation against an illegal online cockfighting ring in Manila.
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2The e-sabong group operated out of the Vitas Coliseum and conducted roughly five hundred electronic fights daily, primarily involving bettors who were among those detained. CIDG National Capital Region led this raid on March 25-26 to shut down what authorities described as an illegal operation.
Developments
Perspectives
The Philippine National Police arrested exactly 170 individuals during a raid targeting an illegal e-sabong operation inside Tondo coliseum.
— [Mar 26, 07:14] PNP nabs illegal online-sabong, 170 arrested (Sunstar.com.ph)Police busted the electronic cockfighting ring in Manila and made arrests of a total count reaching up to one hundred seventy-four people.
— [Mar 26, 05:42] Cops bust 'e-sabong' in Manila; 174 arrested (Newsinfo.inquirer.net)The Philippine National Police have busted the group behind an electronic cockfighting operation that was conducting approximately five hundred fights daily.
— [Mar 26, 03:21] 174 arrested after Philippine police bust online cockfighting ring in Manila (Straitstimes)Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr intends to crack down on the illegal e-sabong operation that was shut at a coliseum.
— [Mar 26, 01:11] Nartatez vows crackdown on e-sabong after Manila coliseum bust (Inquirer)The Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit arrested one hundred seventy-two people during the raid targeting illegal online cockfighting at Vitas Coliseum in Tondo.
— [Mar 25, 16:02] 172 suspects nabbed in online sabong bust – CIDG (Manilatimes)The Philippine National Police arrested 170 individuals during an operation targeting the only legal physical cockfighting facility in Tondo that lacked authorization for illegal online betting, despite President Marcos Jr. having banned e-sabong nationwide since December 2022. PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez announced intensified intelligence-driven campaigns to dismantle these organized gambling networks and warned operators of further shutdowns until all illicit hubs are eliminated.
Police raided an electronic cockfighting operation in Manila's Vitas coliseum that hosted approximately 500 daily online matches around-the-clock and arrested 174 individuals for violating gambling laws. Authorities seized equipment but require a cyber warrant to access digital data regarding the group's financial transactions, while most bettors were released after providing statements against management officials who face stiffer penalties under existing Cockfighting Law provisions.
Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., following a raid at the Vitas Coliseum that arrested over 164 individuals involved in an illegal e-sabong operation, has vowed to intensify nationwide crackdowns on online cockfighting until these hubs are dismantled. The CIDG-NCR confirmed around daily operations occurred there before authorities seized computers and roosters; President Rodrigo Duterte had previously banned the practice due to its social costs since May 2022.