Camp BGen Efigenio C Navarro, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro- Jovencio Li. Mayor Jr., municipal mayor of Ferrol, Romblon, and more or less 200 other suspects were arrested inside Tubigon Square Garden (Cockpit Arena) at Barangay Tubigon, Ferrol, Romblon on February 6, 2022 about 10: 20 A.M.

The said arrested was a result of joint operation launched by Criminal Investigation Detection Group-Romblon Provincial Field Unit (lead unit), Ferrol Municipal Police Station and Romblon Provincial Mobile Force Company as part of “Operation Plan (OPLAN) Bolilyo”.

The police report revealed that CIDG Romblon received information that cockfighting was ongoing in Tubigon Square Garden (Cockpit arena) despite placing Romblon Province under Alert Level 3.

The said information led to the conduct anti-Illegal gambling operation that resulted in the arrest of the abovenamed suspects while in the act of engaging in cockfighting which is a clear violation pursuant to IATF Resolution No. 159-A series of 2022 dated January 29, 2022, and Presidential Decree 449 or the Cockfighting Law of 1974 as amended by Presidential Decree 1602.

Confiscated from their possession and control were an Undetermined amount of bet money, gambling paraphernalia, an undetermined number of dead and live fighting cocks with attached gaffs.

As of press time, the suspects are under the custody of Romblon PMFC, while CIDG Romblon PFU, together with the Ferrol MPS, is still preparing documents for filing of complaint to the provincial prosecutor’s office in Odiongan, Romblon.

“I laud the CIDG Romblon, and other PNP operating units for this very remarkable accomplishment. May this serve as a stern warning for other elected officials and illegal gamblers that MIMAROPA police will enforce the law without fear and favor”, Police Brigadier General SIDNEY SULTAN HERNIA, Regional Director of Police Regional Office MIMAROPA, stressed. -RPIO MIMAROPA