Public outrage erupts over illegal horse fighting in Bukidnon

Traditional horse fighting pits stallions against one another for entertainment, causing severe injuries through biting and kicking.

Two horses charge at each other inside a makeshift arena. Around them, spectators crowd the railings as the animals bite, kick and strike.

This is not some forgotten scene from another era.

A photo recently shared on social media has renewed outrage over horse fighting in Bukidnon, with the post saying the image was taken years ago but that similar events are reportedly still being held in hinterland villages.

The disturbing image drew condemnation from netizens, with commenters describing the practice as animal cruelty and calling for those behind such events to be caught.

If the reports are true, the question is simple: Why is this barbaric practice still happening?

Horse fighting is illegal in the Philippines. Republic Act No. 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, explicitly makes it unlawful to subject horses to horsefights. The law was later strengthened by Republic Act No. 10631.

These are not harmless exhibitions of strength.

Horse fighting traditionally involves deliberately pitting stallions against each other, turning animals into unwilling combatants for human entertainment. Horses can suffer vicious bites, powerful kicks and serious injuries in the process.

Calling it “tradition” does not magically erase the cruelty—or the law.

And evidence that horse fighting persists in Mindanao is hardly ancient history. In July 2026, authorities raided an illegal horse-fighting event in Sta. Maria, Davao Occidental, where four people were arrested and seven horses were rescued. Authorities also reported admission fees and betting at the event.

That should make reports of similar activities in Bukidnon impossible to simply dismiss as some quaint rural custom.

Animal cruelty does not become acceptable because people have been doing it for generations. A cheering crowd does not make suffering entertainment. And remoteness should never become protection from the law.

If horse fights are indeed still being organized in Bukidnon’s hinterland communities, authorities should investigate and put a stop to them.

Culture deserves preservation. Cruelty deserves prosecution.

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