The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday, December 9, that it would file two kidnapping cases against gaming tycoon Charlie "Atong" Ang and 24 others in relation to the missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts) case1.
The DOJ said it found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to indict or charge 23 named people in court with 10 counts of kidnapping with homicide. The list includes Ang, Police Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Jay Orapa, Rogelio Teodoso Borican Jr., Rodelo Anig-ig, Jezrel Mahilum, Mark Carlo Zabala, Ronquillo Anding, and a number of serving police officers of various ranks1. Prosecutors also ordered the filing of another case for 16 counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention against Ang, Orapa, Claveria, Anig-ig, Borican, Andres, Almedilla, Encarnacion, Cabillan, and John Does described as unidentified policemen belonging to Orapa's group1.
DOJ spokesperson Prosecutor Raphael Niccolo Martinez said the cases would be filed with three different Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Lipa City, Batangas, and in Santa Cruz and San Pablo, both in Laguna1. The resolution was issued on Tuesday as well1. Actress Gretchen Barreto, who was also tagged in the scandal, was not on the list of indicted accused1.
"As to the other respondents, the case/s were dismissed without prejudice to the re-filing of any complaint with the Department of Justice should future evidence arise linking them directly to the acts of unlawful detention"
As early as 2022, Ang was implicated in the missing sabungeros case for being the owner of Lucky 8 Star Quest, the operator of cockfighting arenas where some of the missing sabungeros were last seen1. He attended Senate hearings and denied all the allegations, including the accusation that he could get rid of a cheating sabungero for only P5,0001. In 2025, his former employee, accused-whistleblower Julie "Dondon" Patidongan, tagged the businessman as the alleged mastermind in the disappearances1. Government data stated that at least 34 sabungeros had gone missing from April 2021 to January 2022, but Patidongan said this number could reach over a hundred1. In August, relatives of the missing sabungeros filed multiple complaints against Ang and others tagged in the case1.
| Case | Counts | Accused |
|---|---|---|
| Kidnapping with homicide | 10 | Ang and 22 others named by the DOJ |
| Kidnapping with serious illegal detention | 16 | Ang, Orapa, Claveria, Anig-ig, Borican, Andres, Almedilla, Encarnacion, Cabillan, John Does |
What it means for players
The case concerns the disappearance of sabungeros, the cockfighting enthusiasts who attend and bet at derbies, a form of gambling covered in the Philippines1. The DOJ has tied the allegations to Lucky 8 Star Quest, the operator of cockfighting arenas where some of the missing were last seen1. The charges are filed against individuals, not against the sport or the venues, and the announcement does not change the legal status of cockfighting or betting on it. Anyone who gambles in the Philippines, whether local, expat or visitor, is affected only in the sense that the arenas named in the case are part of the same industry. The DOJ has not announced any regulatory change to gambling as a result of the resolution1.
What happens next
The cases are to be filed with three Regional Trial Courts in Lipa City, Batangas, and in Santa Cruz and San Pablo, Laguna1. Kidnapping, like any other serious crime, should be non-bailable, meaning that once the cases reach the courts and the tribunal issues warrants, Ang and the other accused might be held under detention1. As early as 2022, the DOJ had already filed non-bailable cases against others involved in the kidnapping, including Patidongan, and the accused were eventually arrested in September 20231. However, the accused were given temporary liberty following Manila RTC Branch 40's order that allowed them to post bail1. This bail issue reached the Court of Appeals, which then voided the RTC ruling in a decision in January 2025, ordering the suspects' rearrest1. Patidongan and others are still temporarily free at the moment because they appealed the CA ruling before the Supreme Court, and their petition is still pending1.
