DOJ: ‘Sabungero’ case brains ‘very powerful’
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday warned the mastermind in the case of the missing “sabungeros” (cockfight aficionados) is not only powerful but also has enough money to influence even the courts.
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A female showbiz celebrity is part of the inner circle who knows about the disappearance of at least 100 “sabungeros,” said alias “Totoy,” one of the accused in the case. “She is among the alpha members or part of the inner circle…She was present during the meetings. She was one of the key people because she has more knowledge about this case,” he said in an interview on “24 Oras.”
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Remulla said he will seek a meeting with Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo to discuss his apprehensions that the judiciary might be compromised.
“Remember, our adversary here is a heavyweight, with money to infiltrate even the judiciary. And that’s one thing that we might have to talk to the Chief Justice about, because e-sabong money is not to be taken lightly,” he said in an interview with reporters.
Remulla said the alleged mastermind boasted his connection reaches all the way up to the Supreme Court.
“The mastermind said, in his own words, that he can influence even the Supreme Court,” Remulla said.
The Justice chief, however, declined to identify the suspected mastermind, but said the person was part of a group of about 20 individuals, including some government and police officials, who have adopted a corporate setup in running the billion-peso e-sabong industry.
He said the DOJ is coordinating with various government agencies in scouring the bed of Taal Lake, where the bodies of the missing “sabungeros” and others were allegedly dumped, according to a whistleblower.
The 34 “sabungeros” went missing between April 2021 and January 2022.
“We are doing everything now. We’ve talked to the Armed Forces, Navy, and Coast Guard who are willing to undertake the technical diving exercise needed for this,” he said.
“We are also contacting the Japanese government for assistance here. We also have remote vehicles at the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) that we can use but we lack the technical expertise and experience,” he added.
On Wednesday, Remulla said the killers of more than 100 missing sabungeros were paid P500,000 for each kill.
“This is an organized crime and it’s not easy to prove. It’s something that should be pursued from every angle,” he said in a television interview.
Earlier, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the identities and unit assignments of the 20 suspected police officers involved in the killings are being withheld to prevent potential escape attempts or efforts to go off the grid.
“Regardless of who is involved here—whether that may be a civilian, a high-profile person, or even one of our comrades—we will not spare anyone,” Fajardo said.
