The government has taken down seven illegal e-sabong websites, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.
DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group is conducting an investigation to identify the administrators of the said websites.
“These criminals thrive on the anonymity of the internet and they are taking advantage of this, but the PNP together with our colleagues from the National Bureau of Investigation will not rest until they have been unmasked,” Malaya, in a GMA News report, said.
The official said authorities monitored 12 websites and eight social media platforms that are still operating e-sabong.
The DILG is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to shut down these illegal websites, Malaya said.
The official added that the DILG has requested Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to immediately delete or suspend the pages conducting e-sabong activities.
The DILG is also set to coordinate with telecom firm Globe regarding GCash, the electronic wallet service that bettors and operators use.
President Duterte earlier ordered to stop e-sabong, following reports of more than 30 sabungeros who had gone missing
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier joined PNP in going after illegal e-sabong operations.
Reports reaching the office of Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año showed that at least seven e-sabong outfits continue to operate without a license or permits in violation of President Duterte’s directive stopping the online game.
Malaya said a similar directive was issued to local government units to stop all e-sabong operations in their respective areas of jurisdiction. He said the DILG has also enlisted the help of the NBI’s anti-cybercrime division in stamping out the e-sabong.
He also warned the public against betting on e-sabong, saying it is unregulated, hence, it is uncertain if the bettors would get their winnings.
