The camp of gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang will challenge the resolution of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in finding prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction in relation to the missing sabungeros case.
Ang’s counsel, Atty. Gabriel L. Villareal told Manila Standard on Wednesday that the case is already “under study” at the moment.
He described the ruling of the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors as “deeply flawed and grossly unfair to the accused.”
“The ruling, while likely given the bias apparent from DOJ conduct, suffers from clear factual gaps and substantial inconsistencies. Clearly, the panel relied heavily on the flawed testimony of a lone witness whose integrity is irreversibly compromised,” he added.
Yesterday, the justice department found enough proof to indict 22 respondents, most of whom are police officers, facing 10 counts of kidnapping with homicide.
This is in addition to the 16 counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention that the DOJ also recommended to be filed against Ang and 9 other individuals.
Villareal claimed that the DOJ’s decision not to recommend the filing of cases against the majority of those who were originally implicated proves the “spurious nature of Patidongan’s account.”
It can be recalled that Julie “Dondon” Patidongan—earlier known as Alyas “Totoy” — was the e-sabong whistleblower who linked Ang in the case.
“It is rather anomalous that the Patidongan brothers were not charged in the case despite clear evidence of their participation in the alleged abduction and disappearance of certain cockfighting enthusiasts.
Ang’s defense camp is urging the DOJ to direct the Philippine National Police-Criminal Detection and Investigation Group’s (PNP-CIDG) reinvestigation of the case, considering the “serious questions” surrounding the handling of the case.
