PRESIDENT Duterte on Tuesday night apologized for realizing “very late” the negative impacts of electronic sabong (e-sabong) on individuals and their families because he put more focus on the revenues generated by the government from the operation of online gambling firms.
The President, during the inspection of the National Academy of Sports in Tarlac, said he did not immediately realize the bad effects of “e-sabong” to the public because he is not a gambler.
“About e-sabong, I’m sorry. I did not really realize that it would be like… the moving factor there was (the generated income of) P640 million a month, billions a year, because there were many operators,” the President said in Filipino.
“I realized very late, and I am very sorry that it had to happen. Hindi ko akalain na ganoon, hindi naman ako nagsusugal (I did not know that it would be like that because I do not gamble). I do not gamble,” he added.
The President has earlier said that he allowed e-sabong in the country because of the revenues that the government generated from its operations. He, however, later on ordered its suspension after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año submitted the results of a survey conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Government in April showing the negative social impacts of the online game on Filipinos.
Lawmakers had called for the stoppage of e-sabong after 34 people were reported missing in connection with the online cockfighting game.
Senators have also urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to suspend the licenses of all e-sabong operators while the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation are investigating the cases of the missing “sabungeros.” — With Raymond Africa
