DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Two barangay officials in Davao City were arrested with 27 others for holding a cockfight last Sunday, which was illegal and this dismayed Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Davao City Police identified the Barangay Captain as Marc Cayetano, 41 years old of Barangay 10-A and his barangay Kagawad Romeo Mamontayo, 57 years old.
The police apprehended the suspects Sunday afternoon at Duha, San Rafael, Barangay 10-A upon receiving information from a concerned citizen that Cayetano held a cockfighting activity in his farm.
Authorities recovered two fighting cocks with rooster blades, 33 pieces of rooster blades, and money worth Php 245,734. Some of the persons arrested are members of Special Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (SCAA).
Mayor Duterte-Carpio said in her interview with Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) expressed dismay as Cayetano is a member of her political party Hugpong.
The mayor revealed that the village official had contacted her staff through text message explaining it was “ill timed” that he was there, and he was not responsible for holding the gambling activity.
Duterte-Carpio said she did not reply to the text.
“Instead of our police looking out for criminals, suspects, thieves, rapists, terrorist kidnappers, there are people like captain Cayetano who waste the time of our police to look for them,” she said.
The 29 arrested will be facing charges of violating the Presidential Decree 449 or Cockfighting Law and Republic Act 11332 or the Law on Reporting of Communicable Disease for gathering people during the pandemic. (davaotoday.com)
