Maria Virginia Sy

Charlie "Atong" Ang at the Mandaluyong City Hall of Justice on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jeff Caparas

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175153375502120250703-atong-ang-mandaluyong-arrival-MD.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Charlie &quot;Atong&quot; Ang at the Mandaluyong City Hall of Justice on Thursday, July 3, 2025. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>2nd UPDATE</strong>)— Businessman Charlie &quot;Atong&quot; Ang on Thursday formally filed a complaint against a whistleblower claiming he was the &quot;mastermind&quot; behind the disappearance and alleged killing of the &quot;missing sabungeros.&quot;</p><p>Ang, accompanied by his legal team, appeared at the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office to file charges against Julie “Dondon” Patidongan a.k.a. “Totoy” and Alan Bantiles a.k.a. “Brown.” The complaints include grave threats, grave coercion, slander, conspiracy to commit attempted robbery with violence or intimidation, and incriminating innocent persons.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/2/marcos-orders-thorough-investigation-on-missing-sabungeros-1413">&#x27;Dapat mapanagot&#x27;: Marcos orders thorough investigation on &#x27;missing sabungeros&#x27;</a></div><p>In a press conference after the filing of complaint at the Mandaluyong Hall of Justice, Ang insisted that he had no involvement in the mysterious disappearance of the cockfight gamers.</p><p>&quot;Kaya ako nandito, nag-file kami ng kaso sa taong ina-accuse kami, ako, at mga kasama ko ng kung ano-ano,&quot; he said.</p><p>Ang said he was forced to come out and &quot;fight back&quot; in order to defend his reputation. </p><p>&quot;[Kami ay] mga disenteng tao, lahat ng ina-accuse nya dito matitino, walang kriminal dito. Masyado na kaming kawawa, kailangan na akong lumabas,&quot; he said</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/3/lorna-kapunan-whistleblower-linked-to-disappearance-of-sabungeros-1141">Lorna Kapunan: Whistleblower linked to disappearance of &#x27;sabungeros&#x27;?</a></div><p>In his affidavit, Ang stated that Patidongan was formerly his farm manager and head of operations and security for cockpits in Lipa, Batangas; Sta. Cruz, Laguna; and Sta. Ana, Manila.</p><p>Ang denied Patidongan’s claim that he was behind the abduction and killing of more than 100 sabungeros allegedly caught cheating in online cockfighting.</p><p>Ang also defended his colleagues in Pitmaster’s Group A, including actress Gretchen Barretto, who was mentioned by Patidongan.</p><p>“‘Yang group A na iyan investor lang iyan, walang kinalaman sa mga operation iyan, operation naglalaban lang sila ng mga manok. Walang kinalaman ‘yung sinasabi nila sila [censored], ako, si Gretchen, si Gretchen nga kita niyo, bumibitaw lang naman kung minsan-minsan ’yan para sa para sa marketing lang niya para kumita. Si [censored], ang negosyo ng mga iyan poste. Wala, wala, walang masamang record ’yang tao. Papaano naman makakasama sa mga ganyang kalokohan ’yang sinasabi?” he said.</p><p>Patidongan earlier alleged that Ang’s camp offered him ₱300 million in exchange for retracting his statements — a claim clarified by Ang’s legal counsel, Atty. Caroline Cruz.</p><p>“Actually, ’yung 300 million totoo po ’yan, totoo po ’yan na merong ganong amount na sinasabi niya kasi ako po mismo ang sinabihan ng certain common friend namin na tinatawag namin na Brown. Sabi niya sa akin na galit na galit daw sa kanya, pinagmumura siya. Talagang pinagmumura, galit na galit. Sabi ko ano naman bakit? Kasi na-mention nga daw niya yung 300. Bayaran na lang daw si Dondon para makaalis na sa… magpaalis, makalayo kung ano man yung statements niya sa ano, magtago na kasama ang pamilya,” Cruz explained.</p><p>According to Ang, Patidongan returned to Barobo, Surigao del Sur, and ran for mayor in the May 2025 elections. Ang claimed he gave Patidongan a total of ₱12 million from February to April 2025 for campaign support.</p><p>On February 8, 2025, Bantiles allegedly called Ang and demanded ₱300 million as “separation pay” to keep Patidongan from implicating him.</p><p>“Namura ko si Brown dahil hinihingan ako ng P300,000,000 para ibigay daw para ’wag daw ako idamay doon sa kaso nila. Kasi sila ang may kaso hindi naman ako eh. Nung eleksyon humingi pa siya (Dondon) ng 12 million, binigyan ko pa ng 12 million. May mga resibo ko diyan, dinedeposit namin sa account nila,” said Ang.</p><p>Ang also expressed betrayal over Patidongan’s alleged plot to harm him and his family.</p><p>“Don, mag-isip ka Don. Ah, kung ano man ang mga, ah, huwag ka nang magsinungaling nang magsinungaling. Itinuring kitang parang anak ko eh, di ko alam na ganyang ka kasama, pati ako papatayin mo pa, kikidnapin mo pa ako. ’Yun lang, ganun lang kasimple. Kailangan ko, kailangan ko lang proteksyonan ang sarili ko na ’yan. Tsaka ang group ko namin, kawawa na kayo masyado. ’Yun lang,” he said.</p><p>Atty. Lorna Kapunan also called on authorities to re-evaluate whether Patidongan qualifies for witness protection, stressing that he is “the most guilty” among those charged.</p><p>“Tanungin natin, credible ba itong whistleblower na ’to? Kaya nandito kami, nandito si Attorney, na nire-represent po namin para tulungan. Ang objective po natin ay tulungan natin na mas lumabas ang katotohanan. Because ngayon ang lead lang ng Secretary of Justice, uhm, at ng police authorities ay isang mistake… Isipin natin ’yung mga families ng victims na hanggang ngayon hindi pa nakikita. Ilang taon na ’yan, more than 4 years. Kailangan malaman ang katotohanan. Sino itong whistleblower? Kagaya ng sinabi ni Sir Atong, siya po ang directly responsible. He was a foreman, he was a farm manager na binigyan ng full trust and confidence. Siya ’yung in-charge ng operations… Siya ang pinaka-guilty doon. Kasi siya ang directly in charge ng operation. Siya ang may direct participation sa crimes na chine-charge sa RTC Manila. So, even in the definition of a state witness or a whistleblower, he cannot qualify… because he appears to be the most guilty,” Kapunan said.</p><p>Ang reaffirmed his willingness to cooperate fully with the government in the investigation of the missing sabungeros.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/25/police-linked-to-missing-sabungero-case-pnp-vows-no-one-will-be-spared-2032">Police linked to missing sabungero case? PNP vows no one will be spared</a></div><p>Ang also addressed the families of the missing sabungeros, telling them that &quot;the truth will come out.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Wala kaming kinalaman lahat dyan. Lahat ng grupo namin. mga disenteng tao yan. Ang hilig lang namin sabong lang. Hindi namin alam ano talaga nangyari dyan,&quot; he insisted.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/2/-not-just-30-whistleblower-says-100-sabungeros-gamblers-allegedly-killed-dumped-in-taal-lake-0744">&#x27;NOT JUST 30&#x27;: Whistleblower says 100 sabungeros, gamblers allegedly killed, dumped in Taal Lake</a></div><p>Whistleblower alias &quot;Totoy&quot; has claimed more than <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/2/-not-just-30-whistleblower-says-100-sabungeros-gamblers-allegedly-killed-dumped-in-taal-lake-0744">100 people have gone missing</a> or were killed in connection with illegal gambling operations, allegedly masterminded by Ang. </p><p>He <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/2/whistleblower-former-vice-mayor-actress-other-officials-allegedly-involved-in-missing-sabungeros-1256">also tagged</a> other high-profile individuals, including an actress, members of the police force, and even a former local government official, in the disappearances of more than 30 sabungeros who he said have already been killed and dumped in Taal Lake.</p><p>All e-sabong operations in the country were shut down by the government in 2022, following a Senate inquiry into the disappearance of at least 34 sabungeros. </p><p>Patidongan was among six former Pitmaster security personnel charged for the 2021 abduction of e-sabong master agent Ricardo Lasco in San Pablo, Laguna. Lasco remains missing to this day.</p><p>Patidongan was released temporarily in December 2023 after posting ₱3 million in bail, which was revoked by the Court of Appeals in January 2025. </p><p>Malacañang on Wednesday said President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. had ordered law enforcers to continue its investigation to get to the bottom of the case.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WTP5DLIi-tY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>After the filing of complaint at the Mandaluyong Hall of Justice, Atong Ang hinted at the possible motive why he was being implicated in the case.</p>

After the filing of complaint at the Mandaluyong Hall of Justice, Atong Ang hinted at the possible motive why he was being implicated in the case.

Atong Ang hints at extortion in 'missing sabungeros' case: 'Puno’t dulo nito pera'

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Atong Ang hints at extortion in 'missing sabungeros' case: 'Puno’t dulo nito pera'

Jeff Caparas,

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 03, 2025 11:08 AM PHT

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Updated Jul 03, 2025 05:09 PM PHT

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