PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos. Photo from PNP-PIO
MANILA, Philippines — The list of “missing sabungeros” is growing as the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it added two more, bringing the total number of disappeared cockfight enthusiasts to 31 as of Wednesday.
“The Special Investigation Task Group confirmed it is now investigating thirty-one missing person cases from the twenty-nine they are already handling,” said PNP chief Dionardo Carlos in a statement.
“The additional names came out in the given sworn statements of the relatives of the victims and from those who went and participated with them in a cockfighting event on May 11, 2021, in Sta Cruz, Laguna,” he added.
Citing a report from Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Maj. Gen. Albert Ferro, Carlos said it appears that there are two groups of cockfighting aficionados from Bulacan who participated in the said event in Laguna last year: one on May 10 and another on May 11.
When the first group was about to leave the cockpit arena, the second group borrowed their gaffer (mananari) known only as “Nerio” to help them with the cockfight before he went missing, while the other missing person identified only as “Buddy” was recruited by the second group’s facilitator, who also went missing that day.
According to Carlos, unidentified people reportedly made cash withdrawals using the missing sabungeros’ bank cards in different ATMs which the CIDG is currently probing in coordination with concerned financial institutions.
These additional developments in the police’s investigation, Carlos said. will be included in the PNP-CIDG’s report and presentation before a Senate panel, which is set to conduct an inquiry on the matter on Thursday, February 24.
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