Police personnel apprehended three men in separate operations against illegal cockfighting or “tupada” in the towns of San Andres and Caramoran on Good Friday last week.
In San Andres, law enforcers were conducting intelligence monitoring against all forms of illegal gambling at around 11:30 PM of March 29, 2024 when they received information from a concerned citizen on illegal cockfighting activity in barangay Timbaan.
Upon reaching the village, the team caught the cockfight aficionados in the act but managed to arrest only Errol Sumalde, 24, a store merchandizer of ACC Hypermart and resident of Carangag.
The suspect yielded a wounded fighting cock with the metal spur or tari still attached, two more wounded fighting cocks, and bet money amounting to P1,540.00
In Caramoran, police personnel came upon a “tupada” being held in barangay Guiamlong at about 3:50 PM that same day.
Arrested while in the act of participating and engaging in the illegal activity were abaca strippers Jerry Samudio Icaro, 34, and Arnel Icaro Ortel, 58, who were found in possession of two live cockfighting roosters, a set of gaffs, and P450 in bet money.
The suspects in both operations will be charged for violation of Presidential Decree 449 (Cockfighting Law of 1974) as amended by PD 1602 which prescribed stiffer penalties for illegal gambling.