Filipinos exporting ‘sabong’ to Italy?

ROME (AFP) – Italian police seized yesterday 64 Bantam fighting cocks in an upmarket residential area of Rome, police said.

The haul was the first of its kind in Italy. Police said the birds were probably brought into the country specially to take part in illegal cockfights.

The cocks were found inside a shack in the Flaminio quarter, home to many Filipino household employees.

Gambling on cockfights is popular within the Filipino community, according to police.

A 43-year-old woman, who was watching over the birds, has been charged with mistreating animals.

Police also seized a case containing multicolored balls of string, of the kind used to mark birds during the fight.