MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday night temporarily shut down the online betting operations of Manila Cockers Club Inc. due to P1.3 billion in unpaid taxes.

Citing a report of Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the BIR’s “Oplan Kandado” operation simultaneously sealed a total of 51 online betting machines across 19 Manila Cockers Club outlets in Quezon City.

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Twenty BIR teams took part in the raid led by BIR Deputy Commissioner Marissa O. Cabreros.

“We counted more than 100 outlets spread all over, so we will gradually visit them with available manpower,” Dulay told Dominguez.

On its website, Manila Cockers Club said it was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manila Jockey Club Inc., among the oldest horse racing clubs in Asia-Pacific.

Manila Cockers Club said its license to operate had been granted by the local government of Carmona, Cavite, where Manila Jockey Club’s headquarters is also located.

“The permits of Manila Cockers Club’s ‘off-cockpit betting stations’ are granted by the local government units (LGUs) where they operate as mandated by the Cockfighting Law and the Local Government Code,” it said.

Hence, Manila Cockers Club claimed it was “the only cockfighting event entity that pays taxes due to its legal operations,” but the BIR raid apparently showed otherwise.

GSG

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