By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff Reporter
San
Nicolas, Ilocos Norte—The municipal council
here has returned all barangay resolutions requesting the holding of “tupada”,
or cockfights, during their respective fiesta celebrations.
Sangguniang Bayan member
Atty. Reynaldo Corpuz, chairperson of the council’s committee on law, said
three barangay resolutions were referred to his committee. The said
resolutions, coming from Brgys. 6, 7, and 14, requested the holding of
“tupadas” during their respective fiestas.
These resolutions however
were returned to the said barangays.
Corpuz explained that the
resolutions have no legal basis. He added that the requests were later referred
to San Nicolas Mayor Melanie Grace Valdez as she has the discretion to give
these barangays special permits to hold cockfights.
But as far as the Sangguniang
Bayan is concerned, Corpuz said they cannot grant them their request as this
would go against the existing policy of law.
The lawyer-lawmaker has also
attached a case in his committee report. The attachment is about a case in
Bohol where the mayor was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for issuing eight
special permits for “tupada”. The conviction was for eight counts.
Corpus stressed that is not
the Sangguniang Bayan neither the Office of the Mayor that allows or disallows
cockfights but the law.
He added that cockfighting is
only legal provided that the “tupada” is conducted in a licensed cockpit and
must not be more than three days, and must not be within the legal holidays
provided by the cockfighting law.
It should not also be
conducted for fundraising and other charitable activities. Its purposes should also
be sanctioned or permitted by the national government.
Reacting to this, Ms. Valdez
said she has not issued any special permit for barangays to hold cockfights.
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