MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of gambling tycoon Atong Ang appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday to request that his client be excluded from the ongoing Manila case involving missing cockfighting enthusiasts, also known as “sabungeros.”
Atty. Gabriel Villareal told reporters that Ang should not be implicated in the kidnapping and serious illegal detention cases pending before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC). He said the accusations against Ang are “anchored on a recantation affidavit of Julie Patidongan,” who previously implicated others but now claims Ang is the mastermind.
Villareal argued, “Our prayer is that Mr. Ang has nothing to do with this Manila incident. And why does the DOJ suddenly seem to have changed its mind about prosecuting Julie Patidongan, now it seems like they are taking Julie Patidongan as their own just to implicate Mr. Ang.”
Patidongan also appeared before the DOJ on Monday but declined to speak to the media. Other respondents in the Manila RTC case include Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Roberto Matillano Jr., Gleer Codilla, and Johnry Consolacion.
The case revolves around the disappearance of six cockfighting enthusiasts—Mark Joseph Velasco, Marlon Baccay, James Baccay, Rowel Gomez, John Claude Inonog, and Rondel Cristorum—who were allegedly abducted by the accused and their associates.
Villareal said he does not know Ang’s current whereabouts, noting that he last spoke to him when the first warrant of arrest was issued, but he believes Ang remains in the Philippines. Authorities have announced a P10-million reward for information leading to Ang’s arrest.
Separate arrest warrants have also been issued by the regional trial courts in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, and Lipa City, Batangas, against Ang and othe
