JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said warrants of arrest have been issued against the six suspects allegedly involved in the disappearance of six “sabungeros” or cockfighters in January last year.
Remulla did not provide additional details.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) last week filed kidnapping and serious illegal detention cases against suspects Julie Patidongan, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Gleer Codilla, Roberto Matillano Jr., and Johnry Consolacion.
The cases were filed before the Manila City Regional Trial Court.
The accused are being held liable for the disappearances of James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Claude Inonog, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rowel Gomez, and Rondel Cristorum.
State prosecutors have recommended no bail for the temporary liberty of the respondents.
To recall, the DOJ in a resolution released in December 2022 found that the six conspired with each other in the disappearance of the victims on January 13, 2022.
The victims supposedly left Tanay, Rizal on the afternoon of said date to go to the Manila Arena but were allegedly forced to board a van at around 7:30 pm.
Prosecutors said one of the victims, Claude Inonog, was able to call his father Venancio to say they were being forced to board a van.
The elder Inonog, according to the DOJ, supposedly heard screaming while he was talking to his son before the line went dead.
The DOJ in December also indicted three Laguna cops — Ssgt. Daryl Paghangaan and Patrolmen Roy Navarete and Rigel Brosas — for robbery and kidnapping of e-sabungero agent Ricardo Lasco.
