The Bacolod City government announced that it will stop the issuance of “special permits” for cockfighting activities in various barangays in the city. This comes after Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez noticed that there were numerous applications to hold such activities.
“We are not allowing it because it might be used for illegal gambling. I think we already reached the maximum cockpits in the city,” he said. Mayor Benitez added that they will strictly scrutinize all applications for special permits not only for cockfighting but for the “peryahans” as well as some of the games are no longer suited to be social games.
The mayor noted that according to the report of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), some of the games at the “peryahan” are illegal.
According to Mayor Benitez, several barangay are applying for a special permit for cockfighting activities or peryahan during the celebration of their fiestas. He said that he will ask the City Council to put a temporary suspension on the existing ordinance that allows the said activities in the barangays.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, the chairperson of the City Council committee on laws, said the city has an existing City Ordinance 244 or an Ordinance promulgating the rules/regulations and providing for the fees in the licensing, construction, establishment, operation, and maintenance of cockpits and cockfighting in the city.
The ordinance allows cockfighting on three occasions such as fiesta, barangay charter day, and if the barangay passes a resolution for tourism purposes for three days only. Espino is dedicated to defending the ordinance because he is a member of the City Council, he said.
