Despite

"We're not scared. In here, we're peaceful. In here, the matches are held fairly," he said of the deadly contests.

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Outside, the crowd in the 800-seat arena roared as another bout ended with the losing rooster unceremoniously dumped in an empty paint bucket.

'Borrowed money from everyone'

Cockpits like the one in Bulacan were once a second home for Ray Gibraltar, who grew up in a family of cockfight enthusiasts. One uncle was a breeder.

When the fights moved online during the COVID pandemic, the former director-turned-painter began wagering on them as well.

But the easy access, anonymity of the online world and sheer volume of betting sites can lead to e-sabong addiction, and within a year, Gibraltar was winning and losing upwards of $15,000 a day.

"I wasn't eating. I was just drinking coffee and smoking... I had no sleep," he said of a three-day session.