Palace press officer Claire Castro. - Photo from the Presidential Communications Office
MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will show no favour — no matter how powerful the accused is — in ensuring justice in the case of the missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts), a Palace official said on Thursday (July 3).
This assurance came following a recent development in the case, in which a suspect named some well-known personalities allegedly involved in the disappearances first reported three years ago.
“Anyone, regardless of their status in life — even well-known personalities — will not be spared by the President and the administration,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a briefing.
“If there is accountability to be faced, then a thorough investigation must be conducted to give justice to the families of the so-called missing sabungeros,” she also said.
In an exclusive interview with GMA News on Wednesday, Julie Dondon Aguilar Patidongan, also known as “Totoy,” named businessman Charlie Tiu Hay Ang, or “Atong Ang,” and actress Gretchen Barretto as among the alleged masterminds in the case.
Totoy had previously implicated several police officers in the kidnapping of the cockfighting enthusiasts and claimed that the sabungeros were killed, their bodies tied to sandbags, and dumped into Taal Lake in Batangas to prevent them from floating or resurfacing.
At Thursday’s briefing, Castro said it will depend on the findings of the Department of Justice whether Totoy will be recognized as a state witness.
Meanwhile, in a media interview on June 26, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla voiced concern over the alleged vast financial power and influence of the still unnamed mastermind — suggesting that it could even reach the Supreme Court. This information was also shared by Totoy.
The alleged kidnappings occurred between April 2021 and January 2022, according to the Philippine National Police.
Police said the victims were suspected of cheating and committing fraud in e-sabong, the online version of cockfighting made popular through internet streaming, technology, and government licences issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
