Papers by Ruby Villanueva
Cockfighting (sabong) has long been embedded in Philippine culture as a social and economic pract... more Cockfighting (sabong) has long been embedded in Philippine culture as a social and economic practice that cuts across class lines. The emergence of online cockfighting (e-sabong), however, transformed this tradition into a highly commercialized and digitalized gambling industry. Central to this transformation is tyope, a form of deliberate match manipulation carried out by insiders such as handlers, breeders, referees, and syndicates to secure predetermined outcomes for profit. This study examines tyope as a systemic political-economic phenomenon rather than isolated cheating. Using secondary data from investigative journalism, Senate hearings, and existing literature, the paper analyzes how weak governance, regulatory ambiguity, digital platforms, and economic incentives sustain match manipulation despite the 2022 e-sabong ban. Findings show that tyope is linked to corruption, violence, gambling addiction, tax evasion, and the disappearance of individuals involved in e-sabong operations. Ultimately, the study argues that tyope reflects deeper structural failures in governance and regulation within the Philippine gambling economy.
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Papers by Ruby Villanueva