LAOAG CITY—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan held a joint committee hearing to tackle alleged illegal cockfighting activities in the province and in this city.
SP member Vicentito “Toto” M. Lazo, committee on games and amusement chairperson invited cockpit aficionados to “pore over facts and procedures in a certain fight provided by the Presidential Decree (PD) 449 or the cockfighting law”.
During the hearing, Mr. Lazo asked Alejandro “Bong” Taylan, sole proprietor of the Golden Blade Cockpit Arena (Laoag City Sports Center) on who acted as the promoter of the controversial 4th Bakbakan which, he said the provincial board did not allow.
The SP declared the Laoag City ordinance that permitted this event “ultra vires”, or invalid.
Mr. Taylan replied that the President of the United Ilocandia Gamefowl Breeders Association (UNIGBA) Atty. Windell Chua as the event’s promoter.
The investigating committees found out that the United Ilocandia Gamefowl Breeders Association (UNIGBA) spearheaded the ‘Bakbakan’ stag derby on November 10, 2017. UNIGBA is a member of the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders (NFGB) Inc.
Mr. Lazo stressed that the provincial board, on review, declared Laoag’s cockpit franchise ordinance invalid due to deficiencies in requirement. Yet, he added, they went on to hold the derby. He said he believes that it was illegal.
He also cautioned Mr. Taylan that he was admitting that he violated the law. He added that he was under oath during the said hearing.
The provincial board plans to pass a measure that would require the registration and filing of the real name of participants and entries for derbies.
“With these joint committee hearing, we have the intentions to have some amendments or add requirements in our ordinance,” concluded SP member Davinci M. Crisostomo, committee on laws chairperson. (Bernard Ver)