Asia

The politics of fighting cocks

|MANILA

IF YOU are a politician in the Philippines, the place to be seen just now is the local cockpit. “If you don't go to a cockpit, you don't get the votes,” says Congressman Amado Bagatsing, who owns 200 cocks. Getting out the vote for the local elections in May is of special importance to parties this year as the results could be a guide to the grassroot strengths of potential candidates for the presidential election in 1998.

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