JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday assured families of the 34 missing “sabungeros” or cockfighting enthusiasts that the government is not giving up on them and their quest for justice following the disclosure that the victims have been killed and buried in Taal Lake in Batangas.
One of the suspects in the case recently told a television interview that the victims, who have been missing since 2021, have been killed by the abductors and their bodies thrown at Taal Lake.
“Hindi kami nag-gi-give up, we have not given up on anything or anybody. Ganon lang talaga, mabagal minsan ang kaso. Ito po ay proseso na kinakailangang may ebidensya na makakalap at ginagawa ho namin ang lahat (We are not giving up, we have not given up on anything or anybody. Its just that sometimes, the case is slow. But this is part of the process, which includes the gathering of evidence. But we are doing everything for this case,” Remulla told reporters in a chance interview at the DOJ.
Without divulging details, Remulla said his office is working closely with PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre to resolve the case.
Remulla has earlier described the disclosure of the suspect as credible, but said the information that he gave needs to be thoroughly reviewed and verified.
Remulla yesterday said that have come across additional evidence to corroborate the suspect’s statement, but he refused to reveal what the proof is.
“Basta meron kaming ibang klaseng evidence, corroborative evidence na kasama (We have other evidence, corroborative evidence),” he said.
The suspect, who is one of the six security guards detailed at the Manila Arena where several of the missing cockfighters were last seen, has said that he decided to disclose what he knows due to threats on his family’s safety.
He also said he is willing identify the mastermind in the abduction and killing of the victims.
The Court of Appeals has reversed the decision of the Manila Regional Trial Court allowing the six accused in the case, namely, Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnny Consolacion, and Roberto Matillano Jr., to post bail.
The suspects were charged in January 2023 in connection with the disappearance of Marlon Baccay, James Baccay, Mark Joseph Velasco, Claude Inonog, Rowel Gomez and Rondel Cristorum in 2022.
The DOJ in a resolution released on December 2022 found that the six allegedly conspired to abduct and cause the disappearance of the victims on January 13, 2022.
Also on December 2022, the DOJ indicted three Laguna cops – Ssgt Daryl Paghangaan and Patrolmen Roy Navarete and Rigel Brosas – for robbery and kidnapping of e-sabungero agent Ricardo Lasco.
