Cebu City is stepping up its fight against illegal gambling, ordering police to intensify inspections of betting operations and verify permits across the city following a series of recent enforcement actions.
Mayor Nestor Archival has instructed the Cebu City Police Office to conduct tighter checks on gambling activities including small town lottery, Lotte, e-Sabong, cockfighting and similar operations.
Police have been told to verify permits, licences and other required clearances, with the city’s 13 police stations expected to take part in the monitoring effort.
Cockfighting Comes Under Closer Scrutiny
The mayor’s directive also places particular attention on cockfighting activities and compliance with Cebu City Ordinance 1447, as amended by Ordinance 2806.
The local rules establish requirements covering cockpit licences, authorised activities, officials and restrictions on where cockfighting can take place.
The renewed scrutiny follows an incident during a recent barangay fiesta in which police reportedly arrested around 50 people over alleged illegal gambling connected to a traditional cockfighting event.
Organisers reportedly claimed they had obtained a city permit, prompting questions over whether local authorisation alone is enough to make such activities lawful under national gambling rules.
City Council Considers Clearer Fiesta Rules
The issue has now reached the Cebu City Council.
Councilor Alvin Arcilla has proposed a resolution asking the Committee on Laws to examine whether existing regulations allow the city to authorise or regulate traditional cockfighting during barangay fiestas.
The proposed review would also seek clearer guidance for fiesta organisers, barangay officials and government agencies, particularly around the relationship between city permits and national gambling legislation.
E-Sabong Remains Banned
The crackdown covers several forms of gambling, including e-Sabong, despite online cockfighting having been banned nationwide in the Philippines since 2022.
Traditional cockfighting remains permitted under regulated conditions, but operators must comply with both national legislation and local requirements.
Cebu police have already made several gambling-related arrests this year. In March, four South Korean nationals were arrested over an alleged illegal online gambling operation, while in June police arrested 11 alleged Swertres collectors in Danao City, Talisay City and Liloan and seized betting slips and cash.
Local Crackdown Meets National Gambling Debate
Cebu’s enforcement push comes as gambling regulation is also facing renewed attention at the national level.
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed Senate Bill 2347, which seeks to prohibit gambling-related advertising and sponsorships nationwide.
For Cebu City, however, the immediate focus is more direct: police will now have to scrutinise gambling activities on the ground and determine whether operators and organisers can produce the permits and clearances required under the applicable rules.
The combination of tighter police monitoring and a potential review of local cockfighting regulations could lead to clearer — and potentially stricter — rules for gambling activities across Cebu City.