Captured a glimpse of pallot (sabong or cockfight), the world’s oldest spectator sport that has penetrated the Filipino culture since before the arrival of Magellan on Philippine shores. A sport so combative that owners condition roosters to be frightening battlers, much to the dismay of animal rights advocates.
It is a known fact that breeding gamecocks requires big investment, pretty lucrative to many Filipinos, however it can also be a pitfall for careless aficionados.
In the Philippines, cockfights are legal. I’ve never been to an actual fight at the cockpit, but betting, I heard, can go up to hundreds of thousands, and pot money prize can go as high as millions.
Like in any other sport, game rigging is possible, according to an insider. Politics may also add more tension as cockfight enthusiasts are usually a mix of high-profile and ordinary people in the community.
