Filipino cockfight aficionados want to join May 2010 elections

MANILA – A group of Filipino cockfighting aficionados want the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to accredit them as a party-list organization and enable them to participate in the May 2010 polls.

In a four-page petition, the group, called the “Alyansa ng mga Sabungero” (Alliance of Cockfighting Aficionados), told the Comelec its members are marginalized and, thus, need to be represented in Congress.

The group said it is composed of those working in the industry such as bet takers, bet managers, assistants, ticket dispensers and backyard breeders of fighting cocks.

It pointed out its members could be considered poor or marginalized because “they live a hand-to-mouth existence, earning only if the cockfighting expert they work for wins.”

The law allows the formation of party-list groups to give voiceless sectors in society, like teachers, war veterans, fishermen and farmers, a say in policy-making by electing their candidates to the House of Representatives.

As of Monday, the deadline for the filing of petitions for Comelec accreditation, a total of 264 organizations have applied, according to Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento.

Sarmiento said this included “Ladlad” (Expose) which said it represents gays, lesbians, transgenders and transsexuals.

But what caught the most attention is the group representing the cockfighting aficionados, which was sharply criticized by retired Supreme Court justice Jose Melo, the Comelec chairman.

Melo said many of these groups are out to “abuse” the party list law because they have dubious or scant credentials which would entitle them representation in Congress.

Among other reasons, Melo said such groups represent a “typical Filipino mentality” to form their own group when rejected by another group.

But probably, the most important reason, Melo said, is the lure to partake of the “pork barrel” allocations to which each member of Congress is entitled every year.

Under the 2009 national budget, each member of the House receives the equivalent of $1.2 million while senators are entitled to $2.2 million each.

The funds are to be used for projects, like construction of roads, school buildings and bridges in the case of congressmen in their districts. On the other hand, senators can spend their pork allocation anywhere in the country because they are elected on the national level.

At the same time, Melo expressed surprise why cockfighting aficionados need to be represented in Congress because they are not marginalized.

The Comelec chief did not elaborate but cockfighting is one of the favorite pastimes of Filipinos and counts among its avid fans the country’s top politicians, sportsmen and prominent personalities, including:

Luis “Chavit” Singson, the former governor of Ilocos Sur province in Northern Luzon and the incumbent deputy presidential national security adviser; Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government; Narciso Santiago Jr., the husband of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago as well as the presidential adviser on revenue enhancement; former governor Casimiro Ynares of Rizal province in Southern Luzon; and former congressman Jose Cojuangco, the brother of the late president Corazon Aquino and the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Even boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is an aficionado and raises fighting cocks in his breeding farm, comprising several hectares, near his palatial residence in General Santos City in Mindanao.

Reports are that these aficionados bet millions of pesos for each fight every time they meet in what is popularly known as “cockfight derbies,” involving Filipinos and Americans.

But because of the flood of applications, Comelec Commissioner Sarmiento vowed that these groups would undergo rigid screening, particularly for their track records, constituency, previous projects and funding sources.

But more importantly, these groups would be screened to determine whether they truly represent the marginalized sectors of society, Sarmiento said.

He added they hope to trim down to at least 50 the number of party-list groups that would be allowed to participate in the May 2010 elections.

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