The Philippine National Police on Friday sought public assistance in the hunt for six suspects in the disappearance last year of several cockfighting afficionados, as it released a poster of the “wanted” persons.
The PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said arrest warrants had been issued on Julie Patidongan, alias Dondon; Mark Carlo Zabala; Roberto Matillano Jr.; Johnry Consolacion; Virgilio Bayog and Gleer Codilla, alias Gler Cudilla—all for kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
The Department of Justice has also offered a P6-million reward for any information leading to their arrest.
“We expect that these posters would help us obtain information on the whereabouts of these suspects for their immediate arrest,” PNP-CIDG chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said in a statement.
6 of 34 missing
The six suspects are being linked to the abduction of six of the 34 “sabungero” declared missing since early last year, namely Marlon Baccay, James Baccay, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rondel Cristorum, Rowel Gomez and John Claude Inonog.The six missing persons were last seen in public at a cockfight in the Manila Arena on Jan. 13, 2021.
More disappearances are being investigated by PNP-CIDG, with the victims last seen in cockfighting arenas also in Laguna and Batangas provinces in 2021.
Laguna case
Of the eight cases handled by the PNP-CIDG, two have resulted in arrest warrants being issued by the court.
In January, the three former police officers surrendered to their unit after the San Pablo City, Laguna, Regional Trial Court Branch 29 ordered their arrest on charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Former Patrolmen Rigel Brosas and Roy Navarete, and Staff Sgt. Daryl Paghangaan were accused of abducting e-sabong “master agent” Ricardo “Jonjon” Lasco at his San Pablo residence on Aug. 30, 2021.
Claiming to be agents of the NBI, the three policemen—who were previously assigned to the intelligence unit of the Laguna police before they were dismissed from the service—allegedly also took valuables worth P10 million from four women who were at Lasco’s house at the time of the abduction.
Based on the complaint from Lasco’s relatives, the police officers “arrested” him based on a warrant in connection with an estafa case.