DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 14 April) – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte ordered the police to confiscate gamefowls after receiving reports that cockfights continue despite the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Davao City.
During a live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio 87.5 on Monday, Duterte said that boredom is not a valid excuse to allow them to violate quarantine protocols that are enforced to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“If you catch anyone holding cockfight, you go there and confiscate the gamefowls and cook them. Tell them that Inday Sara said we would cook your gamefowls,” she said.
She urged the breeders to just keep their gamefowls while the city is reeling from the impact of the outbreak that prompted the local government to limit the movement and prohibit the mass gathering of people.
“All people here in this city, in the region, and even more so in Manila have suffered so much. It’s just right to order the confiscation of your gamefowls,” she said.
The six-cock derby at New Davao Matina Gallera between March 6 and March 13, 2020 was believed to be the epicenter of the COVID-19 infection not only in Davao City but also in Mindanao.
The New Davao Matina Gallera in Davao City. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO BUENO
In a virtual presser, Department of Health-Davao assistant regional director Lenny Joy Rivera said that at least 738 individuals traced to the Matina Gallera had been contacted while 1,457 traced to other COVID-19 positive patients had been reached.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, DOH-Davao reported 90 COVID-19 cases in the region, 52 of them have recovered while 14 have died.
Davao City recorded the highest COVID-19 cases with 74, Davao del Norte nine, Davao del Sur two, Davao de Oro two, and Davao Oriental three. Davao Occidental reported no COVID-19 case.
