Cebu City Ordinance No. 1

This is an Ordinance regulating the establishment and maintenance of cockpits in the City of Cebu.

When Cebu was liberated from the Japanese Imperial Army, the civilian government was restored. The first ordinance ordained by the Municipal Board of Cebu was the regulation of cockpit. In its session on July 5, 1945, Councilor Cecilio dela Victoria (who later became Vice Mayor) moved for the enactment of Resolution No. 109, this was seconded by Councilor Eugenio G. Corro.

The ordinance mandates that no person, corporation, or association of persons shall own, maintain or conduct any cockpit with Cebu City without first obtaining a license. Among many of the regulations were: That the cockpits are only allowed in Mabolo, Pardo and Mambaling. That no two cockpits shall be established between a distance of less than four kilometers from each other, and each cockpit must be not less than four hundred meters from any public or private schools.

It also requires that the cockfights are allowed only on Sundays and holidays from 7:00 o'clock in the morning to 6:00 o'clock in the afternoon. It also provides an internal rules and regulation during the cockfight like: It is prohibited for any person to accept any bet without the corresponding money at his disposal to respond to the bet in case he loses; No person shall talk to, interfere with or obstruct the acts of the starters while releasing their respective cocks, neither shall any person talk to interfere with or any way hamper the referee while a cockfight is in progress, especially when the referee is in the act of rendering his decision on any match. What then is the penalty for violating the rules? Under Article 3 of the ordinance, it says that it shall give the management of the cockpit the right to eject the person or persons responsible therefor (sic) in addition to such criminal action the management may see fit to file against them.

Interestingly, the ordinance made mention of persons in the cockpit such as a Referee (called Sentenciador), it even gave a qualification, that a "Sentenciador" must be at least 30 years of age, of good moral character and undoubted honesty, and shall be well versed in the rules and usages of the game. One of the duties of a "Sentenciador" is to see to it that none of the cocks has been fixed or "TIOPE."

Another character in a cockpit is the starters or "Soltadores", whose duties are to release the contending cocks. Another is a Bet Fixer or "Casador". The penalty for violating the ordinance shall be a fine of not more than Two Hundred Pesos or Imprisonment of not more than Six Months or both.

The President of the Council (Vice Mayor) was Honorato S. Hermosisima, while the Acting Secretary to the Mayor was Eugenio P. de Aquino and the Acting City Mayor was Dr. Leandro A. Tojong, the latter signed the ordinance for his approval carrying the rank of Captain in the Philippine Army.

The members of the council were: Cecilio dela Victoria, Florencio S. Urot, Numeriano G. Estenzo, Eugenio G. Corro, Canuto O. Borromeo, Alfonso S. Frias and Miguel Sanson.