Dela Victoria’s cockpit ordinance (Part III)
The country's first cockpit ordinance, authored by a lawyer named Cecilio dela Victoria, was enacted on July 5, 1945. It was carried unanimously by the members of the City Council. The president of the council was another lawyer named Honorato S. Hermosisima, it is today's equivalent of the vice mayor. It was approved on July 7, 1945 by the Acting City Mayor Dr. Leandro A. Tojong who was also a captain of the Philippine Army. The Council's secretary was Pio A. Kabahar while the acting secretary to the mayor was Eugenio P. de Aquino.
"RULES OF THE FIGHT" Article 15. The ring of any cockpit shall be at least seven meters long and seven meters wide which shall be maintained always clean.
Article 16. Two circles with a diameter of forty centimeters each shall be drawn in the middle of the ring with a distance of eighty centimeters between them. In the middle of each circle, a smaller circle with a diameter of ten centimeters shall be drawn from which a cock matched to meet another shall be released by its starter.
Article 17. The game cock shall each have a gaff of such form or length and placed in such manner as may be agreed upon between the opposing sides. The gaffs shall be smooth, clean, pointed at the end, and sharpened at one side. During the fight, the position of each gaff shall not be changed nor the said gaff be touched even if it breaks or drops down or is loosened from the leg.
Article 18. The referee may, however, interfere in any match for the purpose of allowing the continuance of the fight: (a) when the gaffs of both cocks are entangled with one another, thereby preventing the continuance of the fight; and (b)when the gaff of any cockfighting cock gets entangled with the railing of the ring on any object and its adversary does not take the initiative to attack.
Article 19. Only seven persons shall remain in the ring when the two contending cocks are released to fight, the referee, the assistant referee, the two starters, and other employees not exceeding three, provided that if it is necessary to maintain peace and order, any peace officer may enter or stay in the said premises.
Article 20. After arrangements have already been made with regard to betting waged on each fighting cock and after having complied with requirements of the preceding articles, the starters, upon the direction of the referee, shall cause their respective cocks to peck each other, shall remove the sheath of the gaffs and forthwith release the contending cocks.
Article 21. Any match shall be deemed terminated: (a) when one or both cocks are killed in a fight; and
(b) when any one of them flees or runs away as a sign of giving up the fight.
The referee shall render his decision by raising the winning cock in his hand and delivering the same to the corresponding starter.
Article 22. If in an encounter a cock flees or runs away but does not quackle or give signs that it gives up the fight, it should be left undisturbed until it quackles and show signs that it refuses to fight any longer.
Article 23. The match shall be deemed terminated and considered a draw whenever any of the game cocks, without being attacked by its adversary, flees or runs away and refuses to fight.
Article 24. Confrontation shall be effected by the referee in the following cases: (a)when neither of the contending cocks does not initiate a fight to pursue its adversary.