Manhunt on for Atong in ‘sabungeros’ case
The police are now tracking down gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang after a local court in Laguna province ordered him and 17 others arrested in connection with the case of “sabungeros” (cockfighting aficionados) who were allegedly abducted and strangled to death for “game-fixing,” before their bodies were dumped in a lake.
All of the accused have been accounted for except for Ang, who authorities said has not left the country and will be issued a hold-departure order (HDO). On Wednesday, a police team tried but failed to serve the warrant on the businessman at his known addresses in Metro Manila and Batangas province.
The warrants were issued by Judge Mary Jean Cajandab-Ong of Branch 26 of the Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Regional Trial Court (RTC), on Jan. 13 for the nonbailable charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
The warrants had been served on Ang’s 17 coaccused, composed of 10 police officers, including nine in “restrictive custody” of the Philippine National Police at Camp Crame, and seven civilians in Laguna and Batangas.
“As a matter of procedure, (law enforcement agencies) will serve the warrant at his last known address,” Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Polo Martinez told reporters. “The prosecution shall forthwith move for the issuance of a [HDO] with the court and ensure that all the accused stand trial.”
Fruitless search
Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval confirmed that Ang has not left the country.
On Wednesday, agents from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-National Capital Region (NCR) attempted to serve the warrant on Ang at his Pasig City home, but failed to find him there.
“We scoured through every spot he could possibly hide in, from the basement up to the highest floor. We even went up to the rooftop… Sad to say, we did not find him here,’’ CIDG-NCR chief Col. John Guiagui told reporters.
Police officials said similar searches for Ang in his Mandaluyong City home and another property in Lipa City, Batangas, also yielded negative results.
“We have identified the locations indicated in the warrant of arrest for Ang. These are different locations and the warrant will be served in those locations,” PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr. told reporters in Malacañang.
The arrest order came less than a month after the DOJ indicted Ang and 21 others on Dec. 19 on 10 counts of kidnapping with homicide and 16 counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention for the deaths of 10 cockfighting enthusiasts and the disappearance of 16 others.
The charges were filed in three different RTCs—in Sta. Cruz and San Pablo, both in Laguna, and in Lipa City, Batangas.
Whistleblowers
The DOJ prosecutors said the sworn statements of witnesses—especially the Patidongan brothers—established that Ang “exercised command responsibility” over the kidnapping of the cockfighting enthusiasts from 2021 to 2022.
According to the testimonies, many of the victims were last seen with security personnel of a cockpit arena. They were supposedly being questioned for their alleged involvement in “paninyope,” or game-fixing. The concerned arenas were being operated by Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc., which is linked to Ang.
Central to the case and revival of the government’s investigation into the disappearances were the revelations of Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, who claimed the sabungeros were abducted, strangled to death, and dumped in Taal Lake by a group of policemen supposedly upon Ang’s orders.
His brothers, Elakim and Jose, corroborated his testimony. Elakim, who also worked for Ang, said he witnessed some of the killings while Jose, as one of his brother’s security staff, said he saw one of the victims being abducted by the police.
Families welcome order
Ang has denied any involvement in the kidnapping, saying the allegations against him were “trial by publicity.”
He filed a motion to reconsider and reverse the DOJ resolution, a matter pending to this day.
Ang’s lawyer, Gabriel Villareal, called the court order “premature” and “legally questionable.”
“Clearly, the court merely acted on the incomplete and one-sided information provided by the [DOJ] in its determination of probable cause, without having even seen the counteraffidavits and exculpatory evidence of the respondents, including that of Mr. Ang,” Villareal said in a statement.
Villareal pointed out that the DOJ has yet to produce physical evidence linking Ang to the missing cockfighting aficionados. “This case was built on haste and from the beginning, and the intent to use our client as a diversion has now become apparent,” he said.
But he vowed to exhaust all means to challenge the arrest order.
Four warrants
Judge Cajandab-Ong issued four separate warrants for the 18 accused—three for 15 counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention and one for four counts of kidnapping with homicide.
The four counts of kidnapping with homicide stemmed from the deaths of Ferdinand Dizon, Mark Paul Fernandine, Melbert John Santos, and Manny Magbanua.
Those ordered arrested for the cases of kidnapping with homicide were Ang, Rogelio Borican Jr., Jezrel Mahilum, Mark Carlo Zabala, Rodelo Anig-ig, Emman Falle, Julios Gumolon, Ronquillo Anding, Police Lt. Col. Ryan Orapa, Police Executive Master Sgt. Aaron Cabillan, Police Senior Master Sgt. Mark Anthony Manrique, Police Senior Master Sgt. Anderson Abary, Police Master Sgt. Michael Claveria, Police Staff Sgt. Edmon Muñoz, Police Senior Master Sgt. Farvy dela Cruz, Police Master Sgt. Renan Fulgencio, Police Staff Sgt. Alfredo Andes, and Police Senior Master Sgt. Joey Encarnacion.
Those named in the warrant for the cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention were Ang, Orapa and Claveria, while those named in the warrant for separate cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention were Ang and Orapa.
The fourth warrant for separate cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention covered Ang, Orapa, Andes, Claveria, Borican and Anig-ig. —With reports from Tetch Torres Tupas, Luisa Cabato, Dexter Cabalza and Inquirer Research
