COCKFIGHTING LAWS

Briefer

LAW SALIENT PROVISIONS

Presidential Sec. 5. Cockpits and Cockfighting: In General

Decree No. 449 (a) Ownership, Operation and Management of Cockpits.
Cockfighting  Only Filipino citizens are allowed.
Law of 1974
(b) Establishment of Cockpits.
 Only one cockpit shall be allowed in each city or municipality
 If population is over 100,000, two cockpits may be
established, maintained and operated.

(c) Cockpits Site and Construction.

 Cockpits shall be constructed and operated within the
appropriate areas as prescribed in Zoning Law or Ordinance.
 In the absence of such law or ordinance, the local executives
shall see to it that no cockpits are constructed within or near
existing residential or commercial areas, hospitals, school
buildings, churches or other public buildings.

(d) Holding of Cockfights.

 Allowed only in licensed cockpits during Sundays and legal
holidays and during local fiestas for not more than three
days
 It may also be held during provincial, city or municipal,
agricultural, commercial or industrial fair, carnival or
exposition for a similar period of three days
 No cockfighting on the occasion of such fair, carnival or
exposition shall be allowed within the month of a local fiesta
or for more than two occasions a year in the same city or
municipality;
 No cockfighting shall be held on December 30 (Rizal Day),
June 12 (Philippine Independence Day) November 30
(National Heroes Day), Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Election
or Referendum Day and during Registration Days for such
election or referendum.

(e) Cockfighting for Entertainment of Tourists or for Charitable

Purposes.
 The Chief Constabulary or his authorized representative
may also allow the holding of cockfighting for the
entertainment of foreign dignitaries or for tourists, or for
returning Filipinos, commonly known as "Balikbayan", or for
the support of national fund-raising campaigns for
charitable purposes as may be authorized by the Office of the
President, upon resolution of a provincial board.

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 (f) Other games during cockfights prescribed.
 No gambling of any kind shall be permitted on the premises
of the cockpit or place of cockfighting during cockfights.

Section 6. Licensing of Cockpits.

 City and municipal mayors are authorized to issue licenses
for the operation and maintenance of cockpits subject to the
approval of the Chief of Constabulary or his authorized
representatives.

Section 7. Cockfighting Officials.

 Gaffers, referees or bet takers or promoters shall not act as
such in any cockfight herein authorized, without first
securing a license renewable every year
 Cities and municipalities may charge a tax of not more than
twenty pesos.
 Only licensed gaffers, referees, bet takers or promoters shall
officiate in all kinds of cockfighting authorized in this Decree.

Section 8. Penal Provisions.

 By prision correccional in its maximum period and a fine of
two thousand pesos, with subsidiary imprisonment in case
of insolvency, when the offender is the financer, owner,
manger or operator of cockpit, or the gaffer, referee or bet
taker in cockfights; or the offender is guilty of allowing,
promoting or participating in any other kind of gambling in
the premises of cockfights during cockfights.
 By prision correccional or a fine of not less than six hundred
pesos nor more than two thousand pesos or both, such
imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the court, with
subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, in case of any
other offender.

Presidential Section 1. Section (5)b of Presidential Decree No. 449 is

Decree No. 130 hereby amended to read as follows:
Amending the
Cockfighting "(b) Establishment of Cockpits. Only one cockpit shall be allowed
Law of 1974 in each city or municipality: Provided, however, That in cities and
municipalities with a population of more than one hundred
thousand, two cockpits may be established, maintained and
operated in the Poblacion and one in each city or town district.”

Presidential Section 1. Owners, lessees or operators of cockpits which are not

Decree No. 1535 in existence and have not conformed with the zoning requirements
Extending the prescribed by law or ordinance are given two (2) more years from
Period to date of effectivity of this Decree to comply therewith.
Conform with
the Zoning
Requirements

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Presidential Section 2. Powers and Functions of the Commission. The
Decree No. 1802 Commission shall have the following powers, functions and duties:
Creating the
Philippine (a) Promulgate and enforce rules and regulations relative to the
Gamefowl holding of cockfight derbies and cockfights in the Philippines
Commission including the frequency sites, conduct and operation of such
derbies and cockfights;

(b) Issue licenses for the holding of international derbies;

(c) Prescribe policy guidelines for the issuance of permits by the

Bureau of Animals Industry for the importation or entry of
gamecocks into the country for breeding or competition purposes:

(d) Fix and periodically revise whenever necessary subject to the

approval of the Ministry of Finance, the rates of license fees and
other levies that may be imposed on local derbies and cockfights
and international cockfight derbies, cockpit personnel and
employees;

(e) To promulgate rules and regulations relative to the holding,

methods, procedures, operations and conduct of cockfighting in
general as well as accreditation of cockpit personnel and
association of cockpit owners, operators and lessees, to elevated
the standard of cockfighting;

(f) To promulgate its own rules and procedures relative to the

conduct of its own business;

(g) To appoint an Executive-Director, subordinate officials and

other personnel of the Commission and fix their compensation;

(h) To establish uniform rules and regulations to govern actual

cockfighting enforceable in all cockpits in the Philippines and to
provide sanctions for violation thereof;

(i) To deputize any government office, entity, agency and public

officer in the implementation of all laws, decrees, letters of
instructions, general orders pertinent to cockfighting rules and
regulations issued by the Commission;

(j) To initiate, undertake, hear and decide any investigation for any
violation of this Decree, rules and regulations of the Commission
and in connection therewith, to issue subpoena and subpoena
duces tecum;

(k) To perform such duties and exercise such powers as may be

necessary or incidental to achieve the objectives of this Decree;

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 (l) To perform such other functions as may be authorized by law.

Executive Order SEC. 7. There is hereby created under the executive supervision of
No. 392 the Executive Secretary an office to be known as the Games and
Games and Amusements Board to be composed of three members appointed
Amusement by the President with the consent of the Commission on
Board Appointments.

Note: On December 28, 1993, the Board assumed part of the

overall functions of the Gamefowl Commission, particularly insofar
as international cockfight derbies are concerned.

Supervision of International Cockfight Derbies.

This Board issues, upon compliance with requirements therefor,
permits for the holding of international cockfight derbies, accredits
cockpit officiating personnel, supervises the actual holding of such
promotions and prescribes policy guidelines for the issuance by
the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of permits for the importation
of foreign-bred gamecocks for competition purposes during such
derbies.

Ordinance No. Sec. 1. Franchising Fee. For ten (10) years---P1,500,000.00

01 Series of Payable in the amount of P100,000.00 a year for five years and
2014 Ordinance P200,000.00 a year for the next succeeding years.
Amending the
Cockfighting Sec. 2. Site Construction.
Ordinance of  The cockpit shall be established, maintained and/or
Olongapo City operated within reasonable distance from hospitals, school
buildings, churches or other public buildings or properties,
existing commercial and residential areas and a radius of ten
(10) meters from its entry point from the National Highway.
 Cockpits may also be established within and/or as an
adjunct of resorts, sports and/or recreational project sites
duly recognized and registered with the Philippine Tourism
Authority, subject to the construction of cockpits shall be
made by the City Engineering in accordance with the
National Building Code and other applicable laws.

Sec. 3. Licensing of Cockpits. Upon prior application made, the

Sangguniang Panlungsod is duly authorized to issue a license for
the establishment, operation and maintenance of cockpits for a
period of ten (10) years.

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