No need for e-sabong to raise revenues: Budget chief | ABS-CBN
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No need for e-sabong to raise revenues: Budget chief
No need for e-sabong to raise revenues: Budget chief
An e-sabong app remains shut on May 4, 2022, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an end to all online cockfighting gambling services. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
An e-sabong app remains shut on May 4, 2022, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an end to all online cockfighting gambling services. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday said it sees no need to revive online cockfighting or e-sabong operations to raise government revenues.
MANILA -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday said it sees no need to revive online cockfighting or e-sabong operations to raise government revenues.
During a media forum, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the government can easily raise the would-be revenues from e-sabong, which the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) earlier said was more than P6 billion a year before it was banned during the Duterte administration.
During a media forum, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the government can easily raise the would-be revenues from e-sabong, which the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) earlier said was more than P6 billion a year before it was banned during the Duterte administration.
“Maliit lang. Kayang-kaya ng DOF (Department of Finance) yan,” said Pangandaman.
“Maliit lang. Kayang-kaya ng DOF (Department of Finance) yan,” said Pangandaman.
“Tsaka bumaba na yung policy rates mo. Palaki nang palaki yung ekonomiya so malaki rin ang revenues natin dyan,” she added, referring to the recent move by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to lower interest rates for the first time in nearly four years.
“Tsaka bumaba na yung policy rates mo. Palaki nang palaki yung ekonomiya so malaki rin ang revenues natin dyan,” she added, referring to the recent move by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to lower interest rates for the first time in nearly four years.
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(That's small. The DOF can deal with that. And besides, your policy rates are going down. The economy is growing, so we cna get more revenues there.)
(That's small. The DOF can deal with that. And besides, your policy rates are going down. The economy is growing, so we cna get more revenues there.)
Pangandaman also noted that the PAGCOR has been doing pretty well, even without the help of e-sabong.
Pangandaman also noted that the PAGCOR has been doing pretty well, even without the help of e-sabong.
She also said that revenues from e-sabong operations are not part of their assumptions for funding the proposed P6.352 trillion budget for 2025.
She also said that revenues from e-sabong operations are not part of their assumptions for funding the proposed P6.352 trillion budget for 2025.
Her statements come following recent proposals in the House of Representatives to revive and legalize e-sabong as an alternative revenue stream following the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) imposed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Her statements come following recent proposals in the House of Representatives to revive and legalize e-sabong as an alternative revenue stream following the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) imposed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
However, despite the ban, PAGCOR Chairperson Al Tengco earlier admitted that e-sabong continues to proliferate, with close to 800 e-sabong operators still able to hold unregulated online cockfights.
However, despite the ban, PAGCOR Chairperson Al Tengco earlier admitted that e-sabong continues to proliferate, with close to 800 e-sabong operators still able to hold unregulated online cockfights.
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For Pangandaman, the BSP may be tapped to help address this problem.
For Pangandaman, the BSP may be tapped to help address this problem.
“Yung e-sabong, kung online lahat yan, pwede yan i-cut through BSP diba? Kasi the payments go through payment channels,” she said.
“Yung e-sabong, kung online lahat yan, pwede yan i-cut through BSP diba? Kasi the payments go through payment channels,” she said.
(With e-sabong, since that's all online, we can cut those through the BSP, right?)
(With e-sabong, since that's all online, we can cut those through the BSP, right?)
Pangandaman said the social cost of having e-sabong operations is also another negative.
Pangandaman said the social cost of having e-sabong operations is also another negative.
“The social aspect nun, mahirap din. Ayaw natin ng patayan (is idfficutlt o deal with. We don't want killings),” she said.
“The social aspect nun, mahirap din. Ayaw natin ng patayan (is idfficutlt o deal with. We don't want killings),” she said.
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Former President Rodrigo Duterte banned e-sabong operations in 2022 due to the illegal activities being linked to it, including the disappearances of dozens of online cockfighting enthusiasts who are believed to have been murdered.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte banned e-sabong operations in 2022 due to the illegal activities being linked to it, including the disappearances of dozens of online cockfighting enthusiasts who are believed to have been murdered.
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