Surigao del Sur moves to ban lewd cockpit shows

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Sangguniang Panglalawigan of Surigao del Sur has set a public hearing on a proposed provincial measure banning lewd shows in cockpit arenas following public outrage over a viral video showing scantily clad women performing inside a local gallera in Cantilan town.

In a notice dated Oct. 14, 2026, the provincial board’s Committee on Laws and Justice and Human Rights scheduled the public hearing for Monday, October 19, at the Legislative Building Session Hall in Capitol Hills, Barangay Telaje in Tandag City.

The proposed measure, titled “An ordinance prohibiting the owners and operators of cockpits in the province of Surigao del Sur from conducting or allowing lewd shows featuring naked or scantily clad women as entertainers within their respective cockpit premises, providing penalties for violations thereof, and for other purposes,” seeks to elicit position papers and input from cockpit operators, franchise holders, and community stakeholders.

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However, the legislative move drew sharp scrutiny from local lawyer Mary Helen Polinar Zafra, whose earlier social media exposé brought the Cantilan cockpit incident to light.

Zafra stressed that while a provincial ordinance could strengthen local enforcement mechanisms, authorities should not use the legislative process to delay prosecution under national penal statutes.

“Publicity is not accountability,” Zafra said, questioning who authorized the performance, what permits were issued, and whether local officials and arena operators would be held liable.

She pointed out that law enforcement agencies and municipal executives already possess sufficient statutory power under national laws to prosecute the organizers without waiting for local legislation to pass.

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Specifically, Zafra cited Articles 200 (Grave Scandal) and 201 (Immoral Doctrines, Obscene Publications and Indecent Shows) of the Revised Penal Code, as well as Presidential Decree No. 449, or the Cockfighting Law of 1974, which regulates cockpit operations.

“There are existing laws, so why wait?” Zafra asked, demanding an impartial and immediate investigation into the Cantilan arena to determine criminal liability. “Ordinance can strengthen enforcement. But accountability should not wait if existing law already applies.”