Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the immediate termination of e-sabong (online cockfighting) operations in the country.
E-sabong is the most popular form of gambling in the Philippines, and the move will see the Philippines lose up to PHP600m ($11.4m) in tax revenue.
Duterte’s decision was based on a recommendation from the Philippines Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, following the conclusion of a survey on the social impact of e-sabong.
The President’s decision came during a broadcast on the Filipino talk show, Talk to the People.
He said: “[Año] cited the validation report coming from all sources. So, since it is his recommendation and I agreed with it and it is good, e-sabong will end by tonight.
“[The survey] is loud and it is very clear to me that [e-sabong] was working against our values.”
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