CAMP PANTALEON GARCIA, Imus, Cavite, Philippines — The Police Provincial Office (PPO) leadership Monday called for the safety and protection of dogs and vowed to go after those out to abuse the rights of “man’s best friend” for financial gain.

To prove its care for dogs, the PPO Intelligence Branch sent a 10-man team under Superintendent Romeo A. Baleros to bust an online dog-fighting ring and rescued 252 full-grown and young pit bulls.

The operation resulted in the arrest of six Korean nationals and at least 17 local workers and the rescue of the pit bulls in Barangay Mahabang Kahoy, Indang, an upland town of this province.

The arrest and the rescue of the fighting dogs were made when Baleros and his men and representatives from the Animal Foundation Kingdom (AFK), an animal care group, swooped down on a rented warehouse at a compound in Barangay Mahabang Kahoy at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

It was the first electronic dog-fighting ring bust and the biggest dog rescue ever in Cavite. Attacking pitbulls, which are used in fighting matches, and trained ones are expensive as one pit bull puppy alone costs between P4,000 and P5,000, police said.

The operation, led by Baleros himself, and Ronald Sariego of AFK, was conducted after receiving an information that pitbull-fighting matches, reportedly shown on internet, were held at the warehouse for the past one month.

Senior Superintendent John C. Bulalacao, PPO director, identified the Korean suspects as Kim Jeong Py, 40, Kim Su Jeong, 27, Kim Sang Hyun, 28, Kang Jun Ho, 28, Lee Han Gu, 33, and Kim Min, 31, all single and temporarily residing at Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City, Cavite.

Bulalacao said a total of 252 pitbulls, most found in cages, were confiscated during the operation.

Some 17 Filipinos, who allegedly work as "sentensiador" (dog-fight referee or trainers, were also held by his officers.

Aside from the pit bulls, also found at the scene were two computer sets, two speaker buffler, one portable microphone, two head sets, one moving camera, one power amplifier, one so-called video distributor, one dual channel wireless receiver, one score board and one metal stand which are believed used for online pitbull-fight.

The raided warehouse has an arena with mirror enclosures where live pitbull fights are believed being presented via the internet in Korea and elsewhere, the intelligence officers said.

They said there were no dead dogs found at the compound but some seized have wounds believed sustained in fights. Cruelty to animals is prohibited in the Philippines.

The AFK and the police brought the pitbulls for safekeeping at an animal shelter in Cavite after the operation.