President Rodrigo has ordered e-sabong operations in the country to cease upon the recommendation of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
In a “Talk to the People” address that aired on Tuesday, Duterte said the DILG found after a survey that e-sabong had been adversely affecting Filipinos.
“May naririnig na ako loud enough, loud and very clear to me that it was working against the – our values, and ‘yung impact sa pamilya pati sa tao,” Duterte said, citing the DILG report.
“E ang labas na hindi na natutulog ‘yung mga sabungero 24 hours. That was the first objection that I’ve heard from somebody,” he added.
Duterte said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año’s recommendation was to “do away with e-sabong.”
“So it’s his recommendation and I agree with it and it is good. So e-sabong will end by tonight o bukas. Lalabas ito bukas,” he said.
Duterte previously defended e-sabong operations, saying they generated billions in income for a government short in money.
Closing down legal e-sabong operations would lead to the emergence of illicit operations, he had also claimed. John Ezekiel J. Hirro