Police evidence room or cockpit? Go ask the MPD

One office of the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters turned into a mini cockpit yesterday after police held on for safekeeping some 30 stolen imported fighting cocks that were recovered in an operation in Binondo, Manila Tuesday night.

The operation was conducted following information that imported fighting cocks, which were stolen from breeding farms in Batangas and Antipolo, were taken to Manila to be sold at bargain prices.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong had directed Senior Inspector Leopoldo Mangilinan to verify the information, arrest the culprits and recover the stolen fighting cocks.

Through diligent surveillance, Mangilinan was able to trace the depository of stolen fighting cocks and ordered his operatives, led by PO3 Michael Pornillos, to raid the place before midnight Tuesday.

Thirty fighting cocks were recovered at the Parola Compound in Binondo, which was reportedly being maintained by a certain "Mang Ding."

Five persons, identified as Aida Batica, George Advento, Fernando Empeles, Nonel Cailing and Alex Lagura, were rounded up by the raiding team for investigation.

Batica identified her husband Igmedio as a buyer of fighting cocks.

According to Mangilinan, a group of Manila-based thieves target provincial breeding farms to steal expensive fighting cocks.

"These thieves even cover their bodies with grease to scare the dogs guarding the fowls," he revealed.

Cock breeders, including former Manila councilor Rufino Bunsoy, were able to identify their missing fighting cocks at MPD headquarters through special wing markers.

Bunsoy, who has a breeding farm of fighting cocks in Antipolo, Rizal, said all expert breeders mark their fowls for easy identification.

He said theft is rampant at this time since December is a derby month, when foreign breeders pit their fighting cocks against those of local breeders.

Bunsoy said a local breed of fighting cock fetches a price of P7,000, while the imported ones are sold for at least $1,500.