GOGOJILI Sentensyador: The Cockpit Judge Who Calls a Sabong Fight

Every sentensyador today works a licensed cockpit floor, since online e-sabong has been suspended across the country since 2022. The first stop came on 3 May 2022, when President Duterte announced it in a taped broadcast. On 28 December 2022, President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 9 and made the prohibition formal.

The sentensyador belongs to physical cockfighting in licensed cockpits, and the sabong ph legal picture explains where that sits in the law.

Sentensyador: the official who declares the result

The sentensyador is the cockpit official who decides how a fight ended. The word comes from the Spanish-derived idea of a sentence, which fits the job: the sentensyador hands down the verdict. When the roosters have finished, everyone in the pit waits for that call.

The three calls a sentensyador makes

Every fight ends in one of three calls. Here they are.

1. Win. One rooster is declared the winner.
2. Loss. The other rooster is declared the loser.
3. Tabla. The fight is a draw, with no winner and no loser.

The call is final for that fight, and the pit moves on to the next pairing.

How the sentensyador fits into the fight sequence

The sentensyador speaks last, so knowing what comes before makes the call easier to follow. The order is the same in every licensed sabungan.

1. Pairing. The two roosters are matched, as the sultada page explains.
2. Blades. The tari blade is fitted to each bird.
3. Bets. The kristo relays the bets before release.
4. The fight. The roosters are released into the ring.
5. The verdict. The sentensyador declares the result.

What the sentensyador does not do

Each person in the pit does one job, and the table keeps them apart.

When you hear a call in the pit, ask which of the three it is, and you will always know what just happened. If tabla is called, the fight is a draw and the pit moves to the next pairing.