By Edwin Iyo
Correspondent
AUTHORITIES have arrested Gingoog City Councilor Jerome Mercado during a raid of the Gingoog Cockpit Arena here for alleged violations of Presidential Decree No. 1602 as amended by Republic Act 9287, illegal cockfighting in Barangay 25 this city at about 12 noon yesterday.
The suspect was also arrested for operating an illegal gambling den, cockfighting, and card games inside the cockpit arena as a violation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines in the province of Misamis Oriental under GCQ with heightened restrictions.
Police Capt. Henry Legaspi, Gingoog City Deputy Chief of Police for Operations, confirmed the raid but refused to reveal the complete details, in a phone interview.
The Joint Operations of five members of Special Operations Team (SOT) of the Philippine National Police Provincial Command led by P/Lt. Col. Jolito Caseres together with 10 members of the Provincial Tactical Motorcycle Team (PTMT) also arrested eight other suspects in the raid.
The Gingoog Cockpit Arena was managed by Councilor Mercado that said the establishment was being used as a front for alleged Illegal Cockfighting (Tupada).
Eyewitnesses said many bettors were able to escape by climbing the more than 10 feet high concrete fence at the back of the arena
Initial investigation disclosed that aside from the nine suspects arrested, the authorities confiscated nine live fowls, two dead fowls, nine pieces of gaff, a fowl medical kit, and various illegal gambling paraphernalia for card games.
Also seized were two vehicles and three motorcycles inside the cockpit arena left behind by scampering bettors of tupada.
The authority also confiscated bet money amounting to P27,290 in different denominations from the suspects.
Suspects and seized pieces of evidence were brought to the Gingoog Police Station for proper disposition.
Mercado, who is a second-termer city councilor, is seeking reelection under the Cañosa-Militante ticket in the city for the coming May 9, 2022 elections.
