Atong Ang's children deny link to missing sabungeros case

National

THE children of businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang have denied any connection to the disappearance of several sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts), saying the allegations against them are “baseless and unsubstantiated.”

In counter-affidavits submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, Oct. 20, Ang’s children maintained their innocence as the agency continues its preliminary investigation into one of the country’s most high-profile disappearance cases.

The Ang siblings, along with their father, are among 62 individuals accused by the victims’ families of multiple serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, obstruction of justice, corruption of public officials, and violations of several national laws including the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law (Republic Act 9851) and the New Philippine Passport Act (Republic Act 11983).

However, in a statement released through their legal counsel, the Kapunan and Castillo Law Offices, the siblings insisted that the accusations have no factual basis.

“The case implicating them in the disappearance of the missing sabungeros is baseless and bereft of any credible evidence,” the law firm said in an Inquirer report.

Their legal team also questioned the credibility of the complainant’s key witness, Julie A. Patidongan, also known as “Dondon,” whose statements were used to link the Ang family to the case.

“The complaint rests solely on the statements of a co-respondent and supposed whistleblower,” the law firm noted. “Such testimony, baseless and uncorroborated as it is, failed to establish prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.”

Patidongan, who first identified Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto as alleged masterminds behind the disappearances, is himself facing charges before the Manila Regional Trial Court for the kidnapping of the missing sabungeros.

The Ang family’s counsel argued that Patidongan is “grasping at straws in a desperate effort to evade accountability” by implicating others.

The law firm emphasized that the Ang family “remains confident that truth and due process will ultimately prevail,” adding that they have full faith in the justice system.

Patidongan earlier claimed that all the missing sabungeros had been killed and their remains dumped in Taal Lake, Batangas — a claim that remains unverified by authorities.

The case, which began in 2022 after more than 30 sabungeros went missing under mysterious circumstances, continues to draw public attention as families of the victims seek justice and demand progress in the long-running investigation.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)