WJ2 Is Cockfighting Legal in the Philippines? What PD 449 Says
Yes, in licensed cockpits only, on Sundays, legal holidays and local fiestas, as Presidential Decree No. 449 sets out.
Key facts and contents
- WJ2 Cockfight Derby Explained
- A cockfight derby is a contest where each entry brings a set number of cocks (3, 4 or 5) to a series of paired fights, and the entry with the best tally wins.
- WJ2 Hackfight Meaning
- A hackfight is a single matched fight between two cocks, agreed on its own, unlike a derby entry where several cocks per team build up a tally.
- WJ2 Meron Meaning
- Meron and wala are the two sides of a fight in a licensed cockpit.
- WJ2 Plasada Meaning
- Plasada is the cockpit's cut: the commission deducted from a winning bet before it is paid.
E-sabong has been suspended nationwide since 2022 under Executive Order No. 9, signed on 28 December 2022, so the answer to “is cockfighting legal in the Philippines” has two halves.
Traditional cockfighting is lawful in a licensed cockpit on the days the law allows, while the electronic kind stays suspended. The rules below are quoted from Presidential Decree No. 449, the Cockfighting Law of 1974, and you can read the whole decree on Lawphil.
For the order and PAGCOR’s part in it, see the e-sabong PAGCOR position page.
Is cockfighting legal in the Philippines? Licensed cockpits only
Section 5(d) of PD 449 says that, except as the decree provides, “cockfighting shall be allowed only in licensed cockpits”. Section 2 states the decree governs the establishment, operation, maintenance and ownership of cockpits. A cockfight outside a licensed cockpit is outside the decree’s permission.
The decree adds limits on how many cockpits a place may have and who may own them.
| Rule | What Section 5 says |
|---|---|
| Ownership (5a) | Only Filipino citizens not otherwise inhibited by existing laws may own, manage and operate cockpits |
| Number (5b) | One cockpit per city or municipality; two where the population is over one hundred thousand |
| Site (5c) | Within the areas set by the zoning law or ordinance, and not near residential areas, hospitals, schools or churches where no ordinance exists |
| Gambling (5f) | No gambling of any kind on the premises of the cockpit during cockfights, with criminal liability for the owner, manager or lessee and the violators |
On which days cockfighting is allowed
Section 5(d) sets the calendar. The decree lists these days and occasions for a licensed cockpit:
- Sundays and legal holidays.
- Local fiestas, for not more than three days.
- Provincial, city or municipal agricultural, commercial or industrial fairs, carnivals or expositions, for a similar three days, on a resolution of the place concerned and subject to the Chief of Constabulary’s approval.
Fairs cannot fall within the month of a local fiesta, and cannot run for more than two occasions a year in the same city or municipality. The decree also bars cockfighting on 30 December (Rizal Day), 12 June (Independence Day), 30 November (National Heroes Day), Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Election or Referendum Day, and registration days for them.
Section 5(e) adds special permission for tourists, foreign dignitaries, returning Filipinos and charitable fund-raising, once a year for up to three days in a province, city or municipality.
Whose licence: the mayor’s, and the officials’ own
Section 6 says city and municipal mayors may issue licences for operating and maintaining cockpits, subject to the approval of the Chief of Constabulary or an authorized representative. The Local Government Code of 1991 has the same idea: cities and municipalities authorize and license cockpits and regulate cockfighting.
Section 7 licenses people too, and only licensed officials may officiate. The licence is local, so the people to ask about a cockpit’s status are its city or municipal hall.
| Licence | Issued by | Detail from the decree |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit (Section 6) | City or municipal mayor | Subject to the Chief of Constabulary’s approval |
| Gaffer, referee, bet taker or promoter (Section 7) | The city or municipality where the fights are held | Renewable every year on the holder’s birth month; tax of not more than twenty pesos |
Sabong ban: what is suspended and what is not
The sabong ban people mention today is Executive Order No. 9, which continues the suspension of e-sabong that began on 3 May 2022. It suspends live-streaming of cockfights outside cockpits, and online, remote or off-cockpit wagering on them. It also states that traditional cockfights authorized or licensed under existing laws are not covered.
| Activity | Status under the order |
|---|---|
| In-person cockfight in a licensed cockpit | Outside the suspension |
| Live-streaming outside the cockpit | Suspended |
| Online or remote wagering on live matches | Suspended |
Cockfighting terms the decree defines
Section 4 gives the decree’s own cockfighting terms. Cockfighting means the game commonly known as “cockfighting derby, pintakasi or tupada”, or equivalent terms in other localities. The defined roles are in the table below, with the Section 4 letter for each.
| Role (Section 4) | What the decree says |
|---|---|
| Bet taker or promoter (4c) | Calls and takes care of bets, and distributes won bets after deducting “a certain commission” |
| Gaffer, taga tari (4d) | Arms fighting cocks with gaff or gaffs |
| Referee, sentenciador (4e) | Oversees the fight and announces the winner, a tie or no contest |
| Bettor (4f) | Bets with other bettors or through the bet taker, and may own a fighting cock |
To see how those roles show up in a derby and in a single bout, read the pages on cockfight derby formats and on the hackfight, a single matched fight.
Red flags in sabong claims
A few warning signs show that a claim about cockfighting does not match the law. Treat each of them as a reason to stop and read the decree.
| Red flag | Why it conflicts with the law |
|---|---|
| A cockfight said to be legal anywhere, any day | PD 449 5(d) limits it to licensed cockpits on set days |
| A live stream or remote wager described as lawful | Executive Order No. 9 suspends both |
| A cockpit with no mayor’s licence to show | Section 6 puts licensing with the city or municipality |
| Side gambling on the cockpit’s premises | Section 5(f) forbids it, with criminal liability |
| A promoter who cannot show an annual licence | Section 7 requires one for every bet taker and promoter |
Section 8 sets the penalties, and they bite hardest on the financer, owner, manager or operator of the cockpit, and on the gaffer, referee or bet taker.
FAQ
Is cockfighting legal in the Philippines?
Yes, but only in a licensed cockpit and only on the days Presidential Decree No. 449 allows. Section 5(d) lists Sundays, legal holidays and local fiestas, and it names the days when no cockfighting may be held at all.
Who issues the licence for a cockpit?
Section 6 of PD 449 authorizes city and municipal mayors to issue licences, subject to the approval of the Chief of Constabulary or an authorized representative. The Local Government Code of 1991 later gave local government units the licensing power.
Is online or live-streamed cockfight betting legal?
No. Executive Order No. 9, signed on 28 December 2022, keeps all e-sabong operations suspended nationwide, including live-streaming outside the cockpit and online or off-cockpit betting on live matches.
Can a foreigner own a cockpit?
Section 5(a) of PD 449 says only Filipino citizens not otherwise inhibited by existing laws may own, manage and operate cockpits. Cooperative capitalization is encouraged.