Despite an impending federal ban next year, cockfighting would just be driven underground and continue to thrive in the CNMI, according to a local aficionado.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be difficult to put a stop to cockfighting events here in the CNMI,\u201d said David, who requested anonymity. \u201cIt has been part of [local] culture and history; they have inherited this pastime from their ancestors.\u201d <\/p>\n
David, who works attaching the blade to fighting cocks whenever there\u2019s a derby or a special event that\u2019s held every weekend in As Lito, concedes that the sanctioned derbies would stop \u201cbut it will just go underground or in secret since there are a lot of people who enjoy cockfighting here. Especially if there are special events like parties, it will be hard to put a stop on this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ban on cockfighting came about after President Donald J. Trump\u2019s signed into law the $867-billion farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. It is now Public Law 115-334.<\/p>\n
P. L. 115-334 extends the federal ban of cockfighting to the U.S. territories of American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands\u2014U.S. jurisdictions where the animal blood sport has a huge following.<\/p>\n
David pointed out that a lot of influential people in the CNMI patronize cockfighting or own and breed gamecocks. The ban on cockfighting would also affect the livelihood of people like him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people here know who patronizes sabong (the Tagalog term for cockfighting). There are still outside events, even if there\u2019s one here in As Lito. Some people like me rely on this for extra income,\u201d said David.<\/p>\n
He is what sabongeros (cockfighting aficionados) call a \u201cdoctor\u201d since he also tends to the wounds of game fowls after each fight and takes care of the birds in giving vitamins and other supplements from chick to adulthood during breeding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to a seminar to study all of this. From the proper and effective way of tying the blade before a fight to taking care of the wounded gamecock. I\u2019ve learned all of this when I worked as a breeder\u2026in 2010.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t place bets and just take care of gamecocks. I also take care of game fowl from the time they hatch by giving them vitamins and pre-conditioning them,\u201d added David.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be hard for us, for people like me that have this as an extra income. \u2026I believe cockfighting will continue here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ban, which will become official in one year, overrides all local laws that legalizes and regulates cockfighting in the territories. Cockfighting had been already banned and considered a felony in several states in the mainland like California prior to the signing of P. L. 115-334.<\/p>\n
The new law imposes a fine and a five-year prison term to people who would sponsor an event while those who would attend face a fine and one-year prison term.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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