Legal basis and legislative authority
- The ordinance is enacted pursuant to Section 458(a)(3)(v) of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991).
- Section 458(a)(3)(v) empowers the sangguniang panlungsod to authorize and license the establishment, operation, and maintenance of cockpits and to regulate cockfighting and commercial breeding of gamecocks.
- The same provision allows licensing “Any law to the contrary notwithstanding,” while requiring that existing rights should not be prejudiced.
- The ordinance treats the license approval by the Sangguniang Panlungsod as a condition sine qua non before a cockpit arena can commence operations.
Policy purpose and authorization granted
- The ordinance authorizes Royal Octadome, Inc. (ROI) to establish, operate, and maintain a cockpit arena in the City of Manila.
- The license authorization is tied to compliance with required permits, fees, and regulatory duties imposed by the ordinance.
- The ordinance regulates cockfighting activities by imposing permit fees for participants and requiring special permits for cockfights held on days other than regular allowable days.
Definitions governing cockfighting terms
- Cockfighting (Sabong) means the game or term “cockfighting derby,” “pintakasi,” or their equivalents in different Philippine localities.
- Cockpit (Sabungan) means properly enclosed or fenced premises or a compound with one or more gates or doors for definite points of entrance and exit, licensed for holding cockfighting.
- Cockfight (Soltada) is the actual fight or physical combat of two (2) pitted or evenly matched gamecocks where bets on either side are placed.
- Derby means a special cockfight event where registered cocks are pitted by weights, and the championship is determined by the entry with the highest number of points.
- Hackfights means the ordinary fight or actual combat between two (2) pitted cocks by ulutan system or pairing.
- International Derby means a cockfight promotion with foreign entries.
- Regular Cockfight means a cockfight held on Sundays and/or allowable legal holidays.
- Special Cockfight means a cockfight permitted by the local government unit on days other than Sundays and allowable legal holidays, upon payment of Special Permit fees.
- Management means the cockpit operator/owner/licensee or any individual group concerned in running the cockpit operations.
- Special Permit means a permit secured from the City Government to hold cockfighting on days other than Sundays and legal holidays.
- Referee (Sentenciador) means a person licensed by the City Government with full power and authority to watch and oversee the progress of the cockfight and to decide and declare the winner or a draw.
License scope: ROI and where it operates
- Royal Octadome, Inc. (ROI) is authorized and granted a permit/license to establish, operate and maintain a cockpit arena anywhere in the City of Manila.
- The licensee may transfer the location of its cockpit arena anywhere in the City of Manila, subject to notice to the City Government for the transfer of venue.
- The licensee may promote and conduct special or regular cockfights and international and local derbies in stadiums, arenas, coliseums, or similar places owned or rented by the licensee within the City of Manila.
- The promotion and conduct of special or regular cockfights and derbies outside regular timing requires payment of the Special Permit fees imposed under the ordinance.
Fees and permits required
- The licensee must secure a Mayor’s permit of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 5,000.00) and an annual Business Tax of Ten Thousand Pesos (PhP 10,000.00), payable on or before January 20 of each year.
- Cockpit personnel, gaffers, and bet takers must secure the following permit fees:
- Pit Manager — P 1,000.00
- Referee (Sentenciador) — 800.00
- Cashiers — 500.00
- Bet Taker (Kristo) — 100.00
- Bet Manager (Maciador/Kasador) — 600.00
- Gaffer — 600.00
- For every regular cockfight day (Sunday and all allowable legal holidays), the licensee must pay a fee of One Thousand Two Hundred Pesos (PhP 1,200.00) for each cockfight day, payable on or before the scheduled cockfight day.
- Special permit fees for specified events are:
- Special Cockfights (Pintakasi) — P 1,500.00/day
- International Derby — 10,000.00/derby
- Two-Cock Derby — 4,000.00/derby
- Three-Cock Derby — 5,000.00/derby
- Four-Cock Derby — 6,000.00/derby
- Five-Cock Derby or more — 7,000.00/derby
Compliance duties and penalties
- Cockpit personnel, gaffers, and bet takers who fail to secure the required permits and pay the corresponding fees are penalized with a fine of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 5,000.00).
- The licensee must ensure that its personnel, gaffers, and bet takers secure the necessary permits.
- The licensee must strictly comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, and rules and regulations.
Operational limitations, duration, and transfer
- No cockpit arena may be established or operated by the licensee within 50 meters from the hospital, school and church.
- The license authority and license are effective for twenty five (25) years and are renewable for another twenty five (25) years.
- If the licensee transfers or assigns rights, prior authority from the Sangguniang Panlungsod is necessary.
Separability, repeals, and continuing validity
- The ordinance includes a separability clause: if any provision or part is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder remains valid and subsisting.
- The ordinance repeals or modifies all ordinances, orders, resolutions, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with this ordinance.