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Six more people face kidnapping, serious illegal detention charges over missing sabungeros

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Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="People watch a cockfighting match at the San Pedro Coliseum in Laguna province, Aug. 26, 2022. Jam Sta. Rosa/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/10/24/07-ph-cockfight-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>People watch a cockfighting match at the San Pedro Coliseum in Laguna province, Aug. 26, 2022. Jam Sta. Rosa/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Department of Justice prosecutors have indicted 6 more individuals for kidnapping and serious illegal detention, this time in connection with the disappearance of some “sabungeros” or cockfight enthusiasts based in Tanay, Rizal early this year.In a press briefer, the DOJ said prosecutors on Dec. 22 found probable cause to charge Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion and Roberto Matillano, Jr. for 6 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention under Art. 267 of the Revised Penal Code.The 6 were identified to be security personnel of the Manila Arena and are accused of being responsible for the abduction of cockfight enthusiasts James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco and Rowel Gomez, along with the driver of their rented vehicle John Claude Inonog.All 6 left Tanay, Rizal at 1 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2022 to join a cockfighting match at the Manila Arena.They were last seen allegedly being forced to board a gray van at 7:30 p.m. of the same day and were never seen again.Their vehicle was found abandoned in Brgy. Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal.The indictment was based on the testimony of a witness, a farm caretaker, who claimed that he saw all 6 of the respondents “capture” Cristorum, Gomez and Velasco before bringing them to the basement of the Manila Arena where they were allegedly forced to board a gray van.The 2 Baccays and their driver Inonog were also forced to join their companions in the same vehicle, according to the same witness.Inonog’s father, Venancio, who is one of the complainants, said he was able to talk to his son while he was being forced to board the van. His son was supposedly able to identify 3 of the respondents — Bayog, Consolacion and Matillano.“Inonog heard a lot of screaming before the line went dead. Thereafter, he repeatedly called his son, however the cellphone was already turned off,” the DOJ press briefer said, citing the DOJ prosecutors’ resolution.The DOJ has not released a copy of the resolution.But based on a copy of the resolution shown to ABS-CBN News, the prosecutors accepted the information from Inonog, treating it as res gestae or a statement made during a startling occurrence which is treated as an exception to the hearsay rule.Prosecutors also considered CCTV footage retrieved from neighboring barangays in Manila, which showed a black and gray van, along with 2 cars and the vehicle the victims rented leaving the Manila Arena beginning 7:50 p.m. of Jan. 13. No CCTV videos were available from the Manila Arena because they were supposedly broken.Prosecutors noted the respondents were the last persons positively identified by a witness to have forcibly taken the victims and they are presumed to be the ones detaining them since they have not been found to this day.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/21/22/cidg-still-gathering-evidence-on-34-missing-sabungeros">CIDG still gathering evidence on 34 missing sabungeros</a></li></ul>The kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges will be filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court.This is the second DOJ resolution released by the DOJ concerning the case of the missing sabungeros.DOJ prosecutors previously indicted 3 policemen who posed as NBI agents and abducted an e-sabong executive in his house in San Pablo, Laguna in May last year.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/amp/news/12/19/22/3-cops-indicted-for-robbery-kidnapping-of-e-sabong-exec">3 cops disguised as NBI agents indicted for e-sabong exec&#x27;s kidnapping, robbery</a></li></ul>Several other complaints concerning missing sabungeros from Bulacan are pending before the DOJ.Patidongan, alias Dondon, is also involved another complaint. He is alleged to be the manager of AA-Cobra Farm in Brgy. Palasan in Santa Cruz, Laguna where other sabungeros also went missing. He was caught on video with a handcuffed missing sabungero. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/amp/news/12/01/22/kidnapping-raps-filed-vs-2-men-seen-with-missing-sabungero">Kidnapping, serious illegal detention rap filed vs 2 men seen on video with missing sabungero</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/slideshow/10/24/22/feathers-fly-as-cockfighting-shakes-off-covid-closures">Feathers fly as Philippine cockfighting shakes off COVID closures</a></li></ul>

Prosecutors indicted 6 more people for kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of some 'sabungeros' in Rizal. 

Six more people face kidnapping, serious illegal detention charges over missing sabungeros

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Six more people face kidnapping, serious illegal detention charges over missing sabungeros

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 23, 2022 01:43 PM PHT

Read More:

missing sabungero

sabong

crime

kidnapping

illegal detention

DOJ

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