The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday urged the families of missing cockfighting enthusiasts, or sabungeros, to immediately seek police help if they are being harassed, threatened, or pressured by parties linked to businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. made the appeal following reports that Ang’s camp had been pressuring some relatives of the missing sabungeros to skip court hearings related to the case.
“The PNP urges the relatives of missing sabungeros to immediately report if they experience any form of harassment from other parties,” Nartatez said in a statement.
“Their safety and the attainment of justice is our highest priority,” he added.
Authorities are investigating reports that some families of the victims were allegedly offered as much as P40,000 a month in exchange for their non-cooperation in the ongoing legal proceedings.
Nartatez said the PNP is prepared to provide security assistance to the families if they are being intimidated or coerced.
“Police assistance does not end in case build-up and filing of charges. It expands to ensuring that no mockery of the justice system will happen in the course of the legal process,” he said.
Courts in Laguna and Batangas have issued arrest warrants against Ang in connection with the disappearance of several sabungeros, a case that has drawn national attention and renewed scrutiny on the underground networks tied to e-sabong operations.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla earlier offered a P20-million reward for information that would lead to Ang’s arrest, describing the businessman as the country’s most wanted fugitive.
Ang was reportedly sighted by an informant in Calabarzon last month, prompting police operatives to move in. Authorities, however, failed to catch him after arriving too late.
The PNP said its focus remains on locating Ang, protecting the victims’ families, and ensuring that court proceedings continue without interference.
Nartatez called on the families to cooperate with authorities and report any attempt to obstruct the case, stressing that intimidation would not be tolerated.
The missing sabungeros case remains one of the most closely watched criminal investigations involving the country’s cockfighting industry, with families still demanding answers and accountability years after their loved ones disappeared.