BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Policemen arrested 82 persons for illegal cockfighting in two haciendas in EB Magalona and Silay City, Negros Occidental, on June 13, even as Covid active cases were increasing in those areas as reported by the Provincial Incident Management Team.
Of the 82 violators, 78 were arrested in Hacienda Ma. Jose in Brgy. San Isidro, EB Magalona, during a joint operation of the town police and troopers of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
P/Capt. Eric Doronilla, acting EB Magalona police chief, reported to NOCPPO that the 78 violators were caught engaging in illegal cockfighting activity.
Recovered during the joint operation were two injured fighting cocks, six live fighting cocks, six dead cocks, P2,000 in different denominations, a gaff, a tally sheet of bets, and two scissors.
Similar police operations in Hacienda Caridad, Brgy. E Lopez, Silay City, also led to the arrest of four more suspects, for violation of Presidential Decree 449, or illegal cockfighting.
The joint operation of the Silay City police and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion yielded four fighting cocks, P740 in cash, a gaff with scabbard, and a dead gamefowl, Lt. Col. Robert Petate, Silay acting police chief, said in his report to NOCPPO.
The intensified campaign against illegal cockfighting by NOCPPO came after “super spreaders” of Covid-19 had been traced to have originated from participants of an illegal cockfighting in Ilog town in April.
PIMT records show that Covid active cases in EB Magalona rose from a single digit several months ago to 90, of which 88 were local cases.
Silay City, meanwhile, logged 155 active cases as of June 13.*
