MANILA - Presidential aspirant and Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said he wants authorities to study the practice of online cockfighting or 'E-Sabong' before its operators are given franchises.

On KBP's "Panata sa Bayan" Presidential Canddiates' Forum, Lacson said that even children are betting on online cockfights, so the social cost of the practice should be taken into account.

"Ito'y dapat masusing pag-aralan bago bigyan ng legislative franchise. Tignan natin mabuti ang social cost na nakapa-loob dito. Yung posibleng tax, pangalawa nalang yun eh," he said.

"Mga paslit, yung mga wala pa sa edad nakaka-taya dito. So tignan natin mabuti ito."

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp said in September last year that it was earning P400 million in monthly revenue from e-sabong.

• Gaming regulator says online cockfighting brings in P400 million a month

However, the practice has also led to incidents like a 19-year-old student in Davao de Oro who was arrested in October for allegedly not being able to pay P561,000 in betting money.

• Estudyante sa Davao de Oro tiklo dahil di makabayad umano ng P500k sa online sabong

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