Criminology Students’ Perspectives on Police Involvement in Cockfighting: Ethical, Legal, and Public Perception Dimensions

Abstract

Police participation in culturally significant yet legally prohibited activities, such as cockfighting, poses critical ethical and institutional challenges in law enforcement. This study examined the lived experiences and perceptions of criminology students regarding police involvement in cockfighting, a practice that remains culturally embedded yet legally and ethically contested in the Philippine context. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, the research explored how students interpreted the relationship between cultural traditions, ethical obligations, and law enforcement conduct. Data were gathered through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with twelve criminology students enrolled in a private higher education institution in Misamis Occidental. The interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method to extract significant statements, formulate meanings, and develop thematic clusters. The analysis revealed four major themes: (1) weakening of public trust and police credibility; (2) violations of ethical standards and conflicts of interest; (3) legal consequences and weak law enforcement implementation; and (4) cultural normalization of cockfighting and its influence on public perceptions. Findings indicated that although cockfighting is often socially accepted as a traditional activity, participants consistently emphasized that police officers are expected to uphold ethical and legal standards regardless of cultural practices. Police participation in such activities was perceived to compromise professional integrity, weaken public confidence, and challenge the legitimacy of law enforcement institutions. The study concludes that police involvement in culturally significant yet legally restricted practices undermines public trust, exposes persistent ethical and legal tensions, and highlights the need for professional integrity in policing. It is recommended that police institutions strengthen ethics-oriented training, enhance accountability mechanisms, and integrate cultural sensitivity instruction within criminology and law enforcement education to prepare future officers to navigate complex socio-cultural contexts without compromising ethical or legal standards.