Philippine policeman killed by rooster during raid on illegal cockfight
- The officer was slashed by a rooster’s blade and bled to death after he picked it up to collect evidence of the illegal event
- Cockfighting is a popular blood sport that has been banned during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent crowds from gathering
.png?itok=arIb17P0)
Cockfighting is a popular blood sport in the archipelago where money is bet on the outcome of a fight – often to the death – between two colourful birds armed with bladed spurs.
This is the first time in my 25 years as a policeman that I lost a man due to a fighting cock’s spur
Monday’s freak accident in the central province of Northern Samar happened when Lieutenant Christian Bolok picked up a fighting cock as he gathered evidence of the unlawful event.
Its blade struck his left thigh and he bled to death, said provincial police chief Colonel Arnel Apud.
“It was an unfortunate accident and a piece of bad luck that I cannot explain,” he said.
“I could not believe it when it was first reported to me. This is the first time in my 25 years as a policeman that I lost a man due to a fighting cock’s spur.”
Provincial Governor Edwin Ongchuan said the killed officer, who was in his 30s, could have also been poisoned.
“He was trying to confiscate the roosters but the problem was the rooster’s blade may have been laced with poison,” Ongchuan said.
He added that Bolok or his companions tried to slow the blood loss by tying a cloth tightly around his leg as a tourniquet but may have applied it in the wrong spot.
Police arrested three farmers, who had been taking part in the illegal game, and were searching for three others. Seven roosters, a pair of gaffs and 550 pesos (US$10) in cash were seized by police, a police report said.
Ongchuan and his local government praised Bolok’s dedication and determination to enforce safeguards to fight coronavirus infections in Northern Samar. Ongchuan provided financial help to Bolok’s family, officials said.
“We grieve with our provincial police in the loss of such a committed and selfless officer whose enforcement of our community quarantine regulations has cost him his life,” Ongchuan said in a statement.
The Philippines’ health ministry on Wednesday recorded 2,053 new coronavirus infections and 61 additional deaths.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed infections have risen to 375,180 while deaths reached 7,114.
The Philippines has the second most number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.
Additional reporting by Reuters
