<p>A Philippine police officer was killed during a raid on an illegal cockfight after a rooster's blade sliced his femoral artery, an official said Tuesday.</p>.<p>Cockfighting is a popular blood sport in the archipelago where the money is bet on the outcome of a fight -- often to the death -- between two colourful birds armed with bladed spurs.</p>.<p>It has been banned along with other sporting and cultural events during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent large crowds from gathering and spreading the contagion.</p>.<p>Monday's freak accident in the central province of Northern Samar happened when Lieutenant Christian Bolok picked up a fighting cock as he gathered evidence of the unlawful event.</p>.<p>Its blade struck his left thigh and he bled to death, provincial police chief Colonel Arnel Apud told AFP.</p>.<p>"It was an unfortunate accident and a piece of bad luck that I cannot explain," Apud said.</p>.<p>"I could not believe it when it was first reported to me. This is the first time in my 25 years as a policeman that I lost a man due to a fighting cock's spur."</p>.<p>Three people were arrested and two fighting cocks seized along with two sets of spurs in the raid in San Jose town where Bolok was the police chief, Apud added.</p>
<p>A Philippine police officer was killed during a raid on an illegal cockfight after a rooster's blade sliced his femoral artery, an official said Tuesday.</p>.<p>Cockfighting is a popular blood sport in the archipelago where the money is bet on the outcome of a fight -- often to the death -- between two colourful birds armed with bladed spurs.</p>.<p>It has been banned along with other sporting and cultural events during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent large crowds from gathering and spreading the contagion.</p>.<p>Monday's freak accident in the central province of Northern Samar happened when Lieutenant Christian Bolok picked up a fighting cock as he gathered evidence of the unlawful event.</p>.<p>Its blade struck his left thigh and he bled to death, provincial police chief Colonel Arnel Apud told AFP.</p>.<p>"It was an unfortunate accident and a piece of bad luck that I cannot explain," Apud said.</p>.<p>"I could not believe it when it was first reported to me. This is the first time in my 25 years as a policeman that I lost a man due to a fighting cock's spur."</p>.<p>Three people were arrested and two fighting cocks seized along with two sets of spurs in the raid in San Jose town where Bolok was the police chief, Apud added.</p>