Jed to Lapuz cockpit: Not so fast

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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is not immediately signing the ordinance granting a franchise to a cockpit in Barangay Don Esteban, Lapuz district.

He said he would refer it first to the City Legal Office (CLO).

Mabilog said he would act on the matter after the CLO had given its recommendation.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved a franchise ordinance for Rockwell Lumber Cockpit Arena last week.

Mabilog said he wanted to make sure that everything regarding the operation of another cockpit in the city is within law.

The city currently has two cockpits – one in Jaro district and another in Mandurriao district.

April this year, Mabilog ordered the closure of the Lapuz cockpit for operating without a franchise.

Councilor Mandrei Malabor, author of the franchise ordinance for Rockwell Lumber Cockpit Arena, cited the favorable opinion of City Legal Officer Lorna Laurea during public hearings.

According to Malabor, Laurea opined that “the SP is, under Section 458 (3) of the Local Government Code, duly empowered or authorized to grant another franchise should it find the need to do so, not only in the district of Lapuz but also in other districts of the city, considering that the population of the city is more than 500 thousand.”

Presidential Decree No. 440 or the Cockfighting Law as amended by Presidential Decree (PD) 1310 provides that only one cockpit shall be allowed in each city or municipality; provided however, that in cities and municipalities with a population of more than 100,000, two cockpits may be established, maintained and operated in the poblacion and one each city or town district.

The CLO further stated: “Based on the legal provision (Section 1 of PD 1310), it is the opinion of the undersigned that in the city of Iloilo which has a population of more than 500,000, one cockpit may be established, maintained and operated in each district. In this case, the term district is being interpreted as an administrative district, which may consist of one or more barrios or barangays (per opinion of the Department of Justice No. 44, series of 1989).”/PN
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