MANILA — Authorities arrested 172 cockfighters and cockpit personnel during a raid at Coloseo de Manila after discovering that bettors were engaged in illegal online cockfighting, or e-sabong.

According to reports by Raffy Tima on Saksi, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group conducted the raid on Tuesday. While the cockpit itself was legally operating, several bettors were found using computers with online sabong software to place wagers during the fights.

Of the 172 individuals, 132 were identified as bettors and were processed along with the management, while the remaining were sent home. Media personnel were barred from interviewing those arrested.

Online cockfighting has been illegal nationwide since December 2022, when Malacañang officially declared e-sabong prohibited.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation is closely monitoring illegal online gambling and coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, and the National Telecommunications Commission to take down illicit platforms.