“Sabong,” or making bets on live cockfighting, is a long-standing Filipino practice that dates back over three thousand (3,000) years. The game involves pitting two roosters or cocks against each other in an arena and gambling on who will come out on top. Wagering/betting on live cockfighting contests, events, and/or activities streamed or aired live from cockpit arenas licensed or permitted by the local government entities having authority thereto is referred to as “eSabong.”

This weekend, a video of a woman calling for help in recovering her kid, whom she reportedly sold to pay off a debt because to her e-cockfighting addiction, went popular on social media.

According to a story on the news website Balita, the mother first requested up to P50,000 for her baby, but they settled for P45,000 through a Facebook transaction.

The two met on March 3 in Quezon City, where the deal took place. When the mother returned home, she changed her mind and called the person with whom she had been communicating. But he never got in touch with it again.

Spokesperson for the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center, PCol. Both the mother of the kid and the person who sold it, Joy Tomboc, can be held legally liable.

“Base sa aking initial assessment, ang ina ng bata na nagbenta at ang pinagbentahan nito o ang bumili nito ay parehong may paglabag sa mga karapatan ng bata na mabigyan ng tamang pangangalaga ng kanyang mga magulang at mamuhay nang kasama ang kanyang pamilya.”

“So, pareho din pong may violation ‘no, doon sa batas natin na RA 7610 or yung Anti-Child Abuse Law,” PCol. Joy Tomboc stated.

According to Tomboc, the two may have also broken the legislation against child trafficking because they exchanged money.

“Ang mga bata, simula nung sila ay nasa sinapupunan pa ay pinagkalooban na ito ng dignidad at halaga bilang tao ng ating constitution so respetuhin natin ang bata bilang tao, isulong natin yung karapatan nila at proteksyonan at pangalagaan natin sila para maging productive sila na members ng community in the future,” she added.

Tomboc urged the people to protect children’s rights and to treat them as fellow humans.