Atong Ang faces murder, serious illegal detention complaints over missing sabungeros issue
Businessman Atong Ang and others have been slapped with murder and serious illegal detention raps in light of the missing sabungeros case.
ABS-CBN News reported that Ryan Bautista, the brother of missing sabungero Michael Bautista, was with the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which filed the case before the Department of Justice on Friday, Aug. 1.
“Four years naming inantay ito,” Bautista said.
Philippine National Police Chief Nicolas Torre was also present at the DOJ headquarters, though refused to give a statement.
According to DZBB, the DOJ, PNP, and the National Prosecution Service are set to meet today. No further details are available.
Missing sabungeros case
Whistleblower Dondon Patidongan tagged Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto as among the persons allegedly behind the abductions of missing sabungeros. He accused them, as well as Eric Dela Rosa and Celso Salazar, of being the masterminds in the case of not just 34 but over 100 missing sabungeros.
Patidongan, who said he has been working for Ang for 15 years as the chief of security of his farms and cockfight areas, alleged that Ang is the pit master's chairman. "Siya ang mastermind, at siya ang nag-uutos na talagang iligpit ang mga 'yan," he said in his interview with GMA's 24 Oras.
While he's one of the six accused in the case, Patidongan asserted that he was merely following orders from Ang.
He also claimed that Barretto was fully aware of Ang's operations in the cockfight arena.
Ang has denied Patidongan's accusations and filed cases against him and another whistleblower, Alan Bantiles, also known as "Brown," who had also tagged him in the case.
Barretto, through her legal counsel, also denied involvement in the case, noting she "has no relevant knowledge" about the disappearances.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., in his fourth State of the Nation Address, assured the public that the government is working to solve the case of the missing sabungeros.
