THE Department of Commerce is supporting the passage of House Local Bill 13-17, which seeks to stop illegal cockfighting activities on Saipan by imposing stringent penalties.
In a recent letter to Rep. Joseph P. Guerrero, R-Saipan, acting Commerce Secretary Fermin M. Atalig said he agrees with the intent of H.L.B. 13-17 to increase the penalty for illegal cockfighting from $600 to $1,500.
Rep. Andrew S. Salas, R-Saipan, is the bill’s author while Deleon Guerrero is the chairman of the Saipan legislative delegation’s Judiciary and Government Operations Committee.
Atalig said fines and penalties should apply not only to the owner of the property used for illegal cockfighting but also to individuals who participate in such illegal activity.
Atalig said the Saipan Mayor’s Office can look into the causes of illegal cockfighting and come up with a solution “so cockfighting enthusiasts can participate legally.”
“Probable causes for people engaging in illegal cockfighting are: cockfighting starts too late in the evening and the houses’ fees for regular fighting and derbies are too much for some people to afford,” Atalig said.
In another letter to the committee, Jeffrey A. Moots of the Public Defender’s Office said he is not aware of any person in the last four years being prosecuted for violating the statutes and regulations pertaining to cockfighting.
He said since no one has been charged with violating the existing statutes at this time, the existing penalties are not the problem.
“Without enforcement, modification of the penalties is a futile act. What would be (the effect) to have (the police) enforce the existing laws and regulations? After the existing statutes and regulations have been better enforced then the Legislature could determine if a problem still exists,” Moots said.
