Philippine police raid underground e-sabong hub in Pandi, Bulacan; 21 arrested
Philippine National Police units in Central Luzon on November 6, 2026, raided an underground e-sabong (online cockfighting) hub in Pandi, Bulacan, arresting 21 men and seizing about PHP 10 million worth of equipment, according to Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) Regional Director P/BGen Jess Mendez in remarks carried by GMA News. Officers said the livestreams reached audiences in the Philippines as well as Mexico, Vietnam and Cambodia, and that more than 500 roosters were found on site. Charges under the anti-cockfighting law and forensic examination of seized computers are planned; the suspects have not issued a public statement.
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Overview
- PRO3-led raid in Pandi, Bulacan, on Nov. 6 arrested 21 men at an underground e-sabong hub.
- Police say about PHP 10 million in equipment was seized and more than 500 roosters were found.
- Livestreams allegedly reached Mexico, Vietnam and Cambodia as well as the Philippines.
- Authorities plan anti-cockfighting charges and forensic review of desktops; no suspect statement yet.
Central Luzon police have broken up another underground e-sabong studio cluster—four years after the national ban on online cockfighting.
In an exclusive report aired November 6, 2026, GMA News quoted Police Regional Office 3 Regional Director Police Brigadier General Jess Mendez on a raid by the Regional Special Operations Group and other Central Luzon units at two studios in Pandi, Bulacan. Twenty-one men were arrested. Authorities said they confiscated roughly PHP 10 million worth of equipment and found more than 500 cockfighting roosters in cages.
Mendez described a no-gaff format in which roosters are placed on a round table and the first bird to fall loses. Staff roles, he said, included handlers before the livestream, computer monitors on another side of the facility, and caretakers for the birds. The livestream was broadcast not only inside the Philippines but also to audiences in Mexico, Vietnam and Cambodia, according to the same police remarks.
Police said they will seek a search warrant to forensically examine seized desktops and will file cases for violations of the anti-cockfighting law because the operation had no permit. The men arrested have not publicly responded; AskSpinner has not independently reached them.
Online cockfighting (e-sabong) was halted by presidential directive in May 2022. Philippine police and prosecutors have continued to announce local raids and studio busts since then. AskSpinner maintains a running Asia gambling enforcement tracker that already logs earlier Philippine e-sabong and POGO actions; this Pandi case is a candidate for the next tracker update.
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Patricia Cruz aims to bring a different perspective to familiar industry conversations. Through in-depth articles and thematic reports at AskSpinner News, Patricia draws attention to details worth questioning and connections that can be overlooked, using the news as a starting point for a closer look at the business of iGaming.
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