Atong Ang, Gretchen Barretto tagged in missing sabungeros case; Ang files complaints vs whistleblowers
A whistleblower tagged businessman Atong Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto as among the persons allegedly behind the abductions of missing cockfighters.
Julie Aguilar "Dondon" Patidongan, alias "Totoy," accused Ang and Barretto, along with Eric Dela Rosa and Celso Salazar, of being the masterminds in the case of not just 34, but over 100 missing cockfight enthusiasts.
Patidongan, who said he has been working for Ang for 15 years, detailed each of their roles in the case. According to him, Dela Rosa is the one who monitors if a certain cockfight was "tiyope" or cheated.
“Then mag-uusap sila ni Celso Salazar, then itawag sa akin na i-hold ang mga tao na nagtitiyope,” he said in his interview with GMA's 24 Oras.
Patidongan alleged that Ang is the chairman of the pit master.
"Siya ang mastermind, at siya ang nag-uutos na talagang iligpit ang mga 'yan," he said, adding that the police would go to the cockfight arena to take away the victims who allegedly cheated.
While he's one of the six accused in the case, Patidongan asserted that he was merely following orders from Ang as the chief of security of his farms and cockfight arenas.
He also claimed that Barretto was fully aware of Ang's operations in the cockfight arena. “One hundred percent na may kinalaman siya dahil lagi silang magkasama ni Mr. Atong Ang,” Patidongan said.
Per Patidongan, Ang's camp is pushing him to sign an Affidavit of Recantation, which would make him retract or withdraw his previous statements against him in exchange for P300 million.
"Lumutang ako dahil alam ko ang pinagkatiwalaan kong tao, na ang ating PNP chief na si General Torre, alam kong hindi niya kayang bayaran ng pera ‘yan,” he said.
Ang files formal complaints vs whistleblowers
Following Patidongan's accusations, Ang on Thursday, July 3, filed formal complaints against the former as well as another whistleblower, Alan Bantiles, alias "Brown," who tagged him in the case.
The complaints he filed before the Office of Mandaluyong City Prosecutor include attempted robbery, violence and intimidation, grave threats, grave coercion, and incriminating innocent people.
In a press conference on the same day, his legal counsel, Atty. Lorna Kapunan, gave two reasons they filed the cases: "first, for the truth to come out, and second, to affirm that Atong Ang and the investors' group are willing to cooperate with the government."
Kapunan noted they are "very confident that there is strong evidence" for the cases they filed on Ang's behalf.
Ang also denied his involvement in the case. "Wala naman kaming history na pumapatay ng tao—paano mangyayari 'yan?"
In a previous statement, Kapunan claimed that Patidongan tried to extort P300 million from those he threatened to name as the persons behind the abductions to clear them out of the case.
"This has tarnished his dignity and reputation, causing anxiety and stress to his family," Ang's camp said.
"The accusations against Atong Ang are entirely false, baseless, and malicious," it added, saying that Ang has been cooperative with the authorities in the investigation. "He categorically and unequivocally denies any involvement in the alleged unlawful, heinous, and criminal acts that have recently been reported and linked to him."
Ang's camp also appealed to the public and the media to "respectfully urge everyone to refrain from spreading misinformation or drawing conclusions without evidence. This right to due process must be preserved, and trial by publicity must be avoided."
Kapunan stressed that Patidongan has no credibility to be the state witness. "The Department of Justice is taking the wrong lead. If it will listen to self-styled, self-state witness... Hintayin nila, this legitimate state witness will point to this Totoy as the real perpetrator," she said in an interview with News5's Una sa Lahat.
Reacting to the allegation against him, Patidongan said, "Parang kinasuhan niya na rin sarili niya. Ako kakasuhan niya, siya naman nag-uutos ng lahat. Katulad ng sinabi niya na nag-extortion daw ako ng P300 million. Para alam ng lahat, hindi ko kayang tanggapin ang pera niya."
NAPOLCOM to probe missing sabungeros case
In an interview on ANC's Headstart, National Police Commission Vice Chairperson Rafael Calinisan said that while they have yet to speak with Patidongan, as well as receive an affidavit from him on his claims about Ang and others, they have started their creative investigation.
"Candidly, the testimony of alias Totoy is very much needed. He has been naming names. Talking head na si alias Totoy and may affidavit na siya, so might as well we have to examine Totoy's affidavit and his allegations," Calinisan said.
When asked if Patidongan is under the care of the Department of Justice or any government agency, Calinisan said he "would assume that someone is helping him because of the media's access to him, but that's still not factual as far as I'm concerned."
Since the incident took place four years ago, Calinisan noted that it's bothersome to know that police officers allegedly had an involvement in the case as well.
"In fact, nabo-bother ako. If this happened four years ago, most likely these policemen are still active, that's the scary part," he said. "Hindi pwedeng magamit nag PNP ganitong klaseng larangan, we will put a stop to it."
Before this, the NAPOLCOM had ordered a motu proprio investigation after Patidongan claimed that certain police officers conspired with a group responsible for killing the victims and throwing their bodies in Taal Lake in Batangas.
