Common denominator on missing cockfight players: No CCTV videos — Lacson

Sen. Panfilo Lacson at the Senate. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — There are common denominators in the disappearances of 31 cockfight players and one is that there  is no closed-circuit television (CCTV) that monitored their alleged abduction, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Thursday.

“The thing is kung isa o dalawa lang ang nawala pwede natin sabihing personal. Pero 31? And there are common denominators,” he said during a Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs hearing.

(The thing is if there are just one or two persons missing, we can say that it is personally motivated. But, 31 of them?)

Lacson asked Philippine National Police (PNP) – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director General Albert Ferro what the similarities of the disappearances are.

Ferro said that some of the missing persons went to cockpits with the same owner. Lacson then said that there are no CCTVs in the incidents.

“Another common denominator, wala lahat (there are no) CCTV for the pattern,” the senator said.

He likewise added that the crime is seeming “far from perfect.”

“Hearing all the testimonies from your investigators and the other resource persons, parang far from perfect itong crime na ito,” said Lacson.

(Hearing all the testimonies from your investigators and the other resource persons, it seems that this crime is far from perfect.)

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos affirmed Lacson’s observation.

“It’s far from perfect. That’s correct, Mr. Chair, your Honor. Definitely, we see the pattern. We see the commonalities,” he said.

“At the end of the day, if they will continue not to cooperate, we will find ways to make sure that the perpetrators of this crime, missing person, or abduction, and kidnapping. We will make them answer before the law, sir,” added Carlos.

Early Thursday, the Senate panel moved to halt e-sabong operations until the cases of the missing cockfighters have been resolved.

JPV