Gretchen Barretto is officially in the clear after the Department of Justice dismissed multiple complaints linking her to the high-profile missing sabungeros case. The decision, outlined in a 120-page joint resolution, found no sufficient basis to implicate the actress in the alleged conspiracy.
Barretto had been among more than 50 respondents tagged in accusations ranging from kidnapping and serious illegal detention to murder. The complaints stemmed largely from claims that she allegedly approved punishments against four victims during a supposed meeting—an allegation she denied throughout the preliminary investigation.
Prosecutors sided with Barretto’s defense, ruling that evidence against her was “speculated and uncorroborated.”
The panel noted there was no proof she gave orders, joined logistics, or even had knowledge of the abductions. “Mere association or attendance… does not amount to conspiracy,” the resolution stated.
Her legal counsel, Atty. Alma Mallonga, welcomed the ruling. “As Ms. Gretchen Barretto had steadfastly maintained, there is no truth to the accusations against her… Thankfully, the Department of Justice agreed,” she said.
While the DOJ recommended charges against alleged mastermind Atong Ang, Barretto now steps out of the spotlight of the controversy.
