DOJ drops complaint vs farm manager in missing sabungero case

MANILA, Philippines —  The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday dismissed the complaint filed against one of the suspects allegedly involved in the disappearance of a “sabungero” (cockfighting aficionado).

The suspect in question was farm manager Julie Patidongan, one of the six individuals indicted back in December 2022, who was found to have “conspired in kidnapping and depriving the liberty” of Michael Bautista.

READ: DOJ indicts 6 for kidnapping, serious illegal detention of 6 sabungeros

However, the DOJ in a resolution dismissed the criminal complaint for Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention against Patidongan after a “thorough review of the evidence and arguments” submitted by the complainants and the suspect.

According to the DOJ, the department faced “significant challenges” in identifying the suspect behind the disappearance of Bautista as none of the faces captured in the video evidence of the crime were visible.

“This lack of clear visibility hinders the process of identifying the individuals involved solely based on their appearance,” said the DOJ.

Furthermore, a critical witness also failed to appear before the panel to affirm the statements he made in his judicial affidavit.

“Given these circumstances, it becomes apparent that relying solely on the limited evidence at hand, such as the indistinct video footage and the unverified statements of an absent witness, the evidence is not sufficient to firmly establish the identity of the person who committed the crime,” the DOJ said.

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