Subpoenas out vs. 60 individuals in missing ‘sabungeros’ case

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

Clavano confirmed that among those subpoenaed to give their side is gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang. (File photo: Department of Justice – Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – Prosecutors have issued subpoenas to 60 individuals implicated in the case of the missing cockfight enthusiasts, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday.

“Subpoenas have been issued from the preliminary report given by the National Prosecution Service as against the 59 or 60 respondents in the case of the missing sabungeros,” DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said in a televised interview.

“Dahil po marami ‘yan sila (Since this involves quite a few people) and we usually serve that personally, the service is still ongoing So, nagsimula po tayo mag-serve ng subpoenas kahapon at ngayon po nagpapatuloy po tayo sa pag-serve ng mga subpoenas na ‘yun (So we started yesterday and we continue to serve the subpoenas today),“ he added.

Clavano confirmed that among those subpoenaed to give their side is gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang.

“He would have been served already with the subpoena. I’m not sure if nasama po s’ya sa first batch or sa second batch today (he was in the first batch or in the second batch served),” he said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that it has retrieved another set of human remains from the bed of Taal Lake, Clavano said.

“We are again coming up with an updated inventory and this will all go through the DNA testing which we have been doing since the start of the operation,” he said.

Whistleblower Julie Patidongan earlier named a group of 20 individuals supposedly in control of the cockfighting industry who ordered the killing of the ‘sabungeros’.

He also claimed that the remains of the victims were disposed in Taal Lake.