SEARCH operations are scheduled to begin soon in Taal Lake, for the remains of at least 34 missing cockfight gamers. A suspect turned whistleblower, Julie “Totoy” Patidongan, said that the missing men had been ordered dumped there by his own group, which had, at the top, businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang.
Said group also includes actress Gretchen Barretto and members of the Philippine National Police, Patidongan alleges. Ang and Barretto have denied their involvement, even as the Justice Department has already tagged them as suspects.
The PNP Chief, General Nicholas Torre III, has also confirmed they are looking into at least 15 of their personnel in relation to the case. Patidongan, who is now in protective custody of the Police, has also claimed that Ang had been paying a high-ranking cop some P2 million monthly. He also said a former judge acted as a fixer; the Supreme Court is launching its own probe.
The number of personalities involved could go higher as the investigation expands, authorities say.
The “sabungeros” case started in 2021-22, with reports of abductions in places such as Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Manila, and Bulacan. For years, however, the families of the missing men heard nothing about the case; it was only until Patidongan surfaced last month, with his explosive allegations, that the public took notice of the case’s developments.
The case sparks interest because of the tragedy of obscurity when one is a simple citizen with no power, money, or influence, never mind the brazen nature of the abductions.
It occasions indignation because of the brutality of the deaths. Patidongan said the men, punished for cheating in the games, were strangled, tied to sandbags, and then dumped into the lake. Nobody deserves this kind of end.
It awakens our collective anger. Personalities could be so powerful as to operate with impunity to cause the deaths. Worse, they could work as an entrenched and organized group to carry out their heinous acts.
The case of the sabungeros should drive our sustained vigilance. Today we are aghast as we follow developments in the case. Soon, however, other issues will take over, and media attention will shift to newer stories. What, then, will become of the case, and of the justice that the sabungeros deserve? How will closure ever come to their families?
Taal Lake is a scenic location that is both a tourist attraction and a source of livelihood for many Filipinos. May we never allow it to be an ugly reminder of how the powerful lord it over the system. May the calm not be mistaken for dark secrets can remain at the bottom indefinitely.
