SENATE President Vicente Sotto III expressed disappointment on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, over President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to not suspend the electronic sabong (e-sabong) operations as proposed by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs amid the probe into the cases of missing sabungeros.“The disappointment of the Senate cannot compare to the disappointment of the families affected,” Sotto said in a press conference during their campaign event in Pasig City.“When I say families affected, hindi lang ‘yung may nawawalang mga kaanak, ‘yung mga nagrereklamong pamilya dahil namomroblema sila sa kanilang kapamilya na nalululong sa e-sabong. Double disappointment kaysa sa amin,” he added.(When I say families affected, it means not just the families of the missing sabungeros but those who are complaining because some members of their families have become addicted to e-sabong. It’s double disappointment on their part.)Sotto blamed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) for apparently affecting Duterte’s decision on the matter, recalling a discussion with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who said that the President waited for Pagcor’s recommendation.“Sapagkat sa totoo niyan, ako ay nalulungkot na ang Pagcor dinala pa sa Presidente ang usapin samantalang puwede ‘yon aksyunan. What does it say? Ayaw nila,” he said.(The truth is Pagcor just raised the issue to the President when they can in fact act on it. What does it say? They don’t want it suspended.)“Eh ano kaya obviously ang rekomendasyon ng Pagcor? Ang tingin namin, based on the law, puwedeng sila. Suspension lang e. ‘Di naman revocation of license e. Suspension lang ang hinihingi namin. Kaya it’s within the power of Pagcor… So, the mere fact na pinarating nila sa President ang usapin eh alam niyo na na ayaw nila,” he added.(What could have been Pagcor’s recommendation? We think that based on the law, they can act on it. We were just asking for the suspension, not revocation of license. So, it’s within Pagcor’s power…But the mere fact that they raised it to the President, they don’t want it suspended.)Senator Panfilo Lacson supported Sotto’s statement.The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs issued a resolution, signed by 23 senators, including Lacson and Sotto, last week, urging Duterte to order the suspension of e-sabong operations until the cases of missing sabungeros are resolved.A total of 34 sabungeros have been missing in separate occasions in Laguna, Batangas and Manila since last year.Pagcor chairperson Andrea Domingo during a hearing last week expressed apprehension in the suspension of e-sabong operations, noting it may mean billions worth of lost revenue for the government.Instead of allowing the suspension, Duterte ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a thorough investigation on the matter and submit their findings to his office and the Department of Justice (DOJ) within 30 days.PNP Chief Dionardo Carlos assured that the PNP is on top of the investigation.“The probe of the cases has been ongoing and important pieces of evidence continue to be gathered,” he said in a statement.“Pursuant to the President’s directive, the PNP reiterates its commitment to meet the 30-day period for the submission of the case findings,” he added.PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Major General Eliseo Cruz earlier said that charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention are being readied against six persons of interest in the disappearance of six sabungeros after attending a cockfighting event at the Manila Arena on January 13.He said they also have identified several persons of interest in the alleged abduction of several other sabungeros in Laguna and Batangas. (SunStar Philippines)