Police staff sergeant among 18 nabbed in illegal cockpit

June 15, 2020

A police staff sergeant was among the 18 persons arrested by the Philippine National Police- Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) after they were caught participating in illegal cockfighting in Pasig City last Saturday.

Police Brigadier General Ronald Lee, IMEG director, said Police Staff Sergeant Jose Francisco Cabusao from Eastern Police District- Drug Enforcement Unit was arrested by IMEG operatives around 11:30 am in his residence located in Barangay Santolan, Pasig City.

Lee said Cabusao was caught engaging in illegal “tupada” games and violating quarantine protocols.

He said undercover officers of the IMEG Luzon Field Unit and the National Capital Region Police Office’s (NCRPO) regional intelligence division, in coordination with the Pasig City police station raided Cabusao’s compound amid complaints regarding regular cockfighting in the area.

 “The area was placed under surveillance and was raided when our agents confirmed the ‘tupada’ game taking place right inside the EPD policeman’s compound,” Lee said.

Recovered during the raid were cockfighting paraphernalia including gaffs or ‘tari’, cash bets and several fighting cock.

“We're intensifying our monitoring of policemen involved in all forms of illegal activities and assure the public that we will apprehend them as soon as we have built enough evidence against them,” Lee said.

He reiterated that PNP chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa has a strict zero tolerance policy against officers who tarnish the good reputation and image of the majority of the police force.

Cabusao and the 17 civilians caught in the area were taken to the PNP-IMEG headquarters in Camp Crame for documentation and filing of criminal charges.

Lee said NCRPO chief, Police Major General Debold Sinas also ordered the filing of administrative charges against the arrested policeman. Ella Dionisio/DMS