Osmeña plans to field ‘roving’ cockpits

CEBU CITY — Mayor Tomas Osmeña has found a way to circumvent legal barriers against his plan to legalize tigbakays (illegal cockfights) by setting up "roving" cockpits.

The mayor earlier aired his plan to legalize tigbakays to enable the city government to earn revenues from permits to stage cockfights.

City attorney Ramiro Madarang, however, said Osmeña cannot legalize tigbakays.

Under Presidential Decree 449, the holding of a cockfight outside a legitimate cockpit is considered illegal. As such, Madarang said PD 449 must either be scrapped or amended before Osmeña can allow tigbakays outside of cockpits.

Local government units have no power to amend the law, Madarang said earlier.

The other day, Osmeña revived his idea, but this time proposed a roving cockpit that will hold cockfights during fiestas and on weekends in the different city barangays.

Osmeña told reporters that Madarang told him that there is no legal obstacle to his plan to set up the roving cockpit.

The mayor said that when a particular barangay is about to celebrate its annual fiesta, the roving cockpit will be brought to the village.

"It is very difficult to stop the holding of cockfights during barangay fiestas. Through the roving cockpit, the city will earn revenues," he said in the dialect.

Osmeña also argued that legalizing tigbakays will minimize corruption in the police service.

Local chief executives are empowered to issue licenses for the operation of cockpits with the approval of the city or municipal council. — Freeman News Service