One family was offered P20M but refused

MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday raised the alarm over the possibility that some of the families of the missing “sabungeros” or cockfight enthusiasts might have already opted to settle the criminal cases they filed in court as some of them have decided to stop pursuing the cases.

“[T]he affiants or the families of the victims went to the DOJ to execute their affidavits of desistance against the suspects in case number 1 and asking that the case be dismissed against these suspects,” Remulla disclosed to the media at a press conference at the Department of Justice.

“One of the family members was here earlier, noncommittal, but to tell us that they have settled already. May mga affidavits tayo on record about them withdrawing their cases,” he added without disclosing how many have executed affidavits of desistance.

An affidavit of desistance is a written statement made under oath stating that a complainant is no longer interested in pursuing a criminal case.

Remulla explained that according to Senior State Deputy Prosecutor Richard Fadullon, the cases cannot be immediately be dismissed because the suspects have not been arrested nor have they surrendered.

“But this is very alarming because it is the only case where the accused group of Patidongan and company are implicated in the missing sabungero cases,” he said.

Julie Patidongan and his 5 companions Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion and Roberto Matillano, Jr. are facing 6 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges under Art. 267 of the Revised Penal Code over the alleged abduction of 6 individuals at the Manila Arena in January 2022.

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

Five of the 6 individuals — James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco and Rowel Gomez — were cockfight enthusiasts who left Tanay, Rizal to join a cockfight match at the Manila Arena on January 13, 2022, along with their driver of their rented vehicle John Claude Inonog.

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 later found abandoned in Brgy. Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal.

But an eyewitness allegedly saw the 6 accused “capture” 3 sabungeros while their other companions were forced to board the van later.

The father of the driver 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. He would later hear a lot of screaming before the line went dead.

Families of the missing sabungeros believe the missing sabungero cases are all connected and only one group is behind the abductions.

Patidongan, for example, was allegedly caught on cellphone video escorting missing sabungero Michael Bautista in handcuffs outside a cockfighting arena in Laguna, where was allegedly the manager.

But a DOJ panel of prosecutors junked the kidnapping and serious illegal detention complaint against him and another person after a key witness, who initially identified Patidongan, failed to show up before the DOJ.

The cellphone video was also found insufficient to identify the perpetrators.

• DOJ panel junks kidnapping rap on missing ‘sabungero’ seen on video

Remulla admitted the desistance “weakens [their] cases” against the 6 accused, particularly with respect to the other pending raps.

“Because from cases 1 to 8, only 1 case has been filed against this group. And this is where there was an attempt to settle all the cases,” he explained.

“So it throws us into a quandary as to how to handle it. That’s why, the instinct is really to see where everybody is and to look at the police and what they’re doing so we know if we will stand by them or we will have to reorganize the investigation as it stands because there seems to be very, very little progress going on these past 90 days. Wala tayong nakikitang progress. After the warrant of arrest was issued, parang wala nang gumalaw after that,” he added.

The Justice chief however said he has no knowledge yet if a crucial witness in the case has also recanted his statement.

MOTIVATIONS FOR DESISTING

Remulla raised the possibility that money could have changed hands that led to the desistance of some families.

He cited the Lasco family who was allegedly offered “P20 million” to settle the case but they refused.

Ricardo Lasco was an online sabong master agent who was abducted on August 30, 2021 from his house in San Pablo, Laguna by armed men who pretended to be National Bureau of Investigation agents.

Three of the suspects would later be identified to be Laguna cops PSSG Daryl Paghangaan, Pat. Roy Navarete and Pat. Rigel Brosas.

They were charged in December last year with kidnapping and serious illegal detention and robbery with intimidation.

• 3 cops disguised as NBI agents indicted for e-sabong exec's kidnapping, robbery

“Basahin mo na lang sa lahat ng mga nangyayaring ganitong uri ng pangyayari, kagaya ng sinabi ng Lasco family kanina, inalok sila ng pera, di nila tinanggap kasi hindi kaya ng kanilang kalooban na gastusin ang pera, dahil wala na yung kapatid nila, gagastusin nila yung pera. Dun pa lang mababasa mo na kung ano ang nangyayari,” he said.

A member of the Lasco family confirmed to ABS-CBN News that P20 million was the amount one of Lasco’s sisters told DOJ was initially offered to them through their lawyer to stop pursuing the case from way back.

It has almost been 2 years since Lasco’s disappearance.

Remulla sought to draw a connection between the offer to settle to the Lasco family and the other families who settled.

“Ang world tradition dito di ba, sa ibang bansa, tawag dyan blood money. Doon tayo tumitingin sa ngayon, pagdating sa pagtanggap ng pabuya para tumigil na ang hidwaan laban sa mga ganitong pangyayari at yung mga pamilya nasaktan ay para mabawas-bawasan ang kanilang paghihinagpis sa ganitong pangyayari,” he said.

“Pero makikita mo strategy ng lawyers nung accused sa case number 1 was really to have the only standing case with the standing warrant of arrest dismissed by settling with the families,” he added.

Remulla said that while the State can still push through with the case even if the families of the victims have desisted, it will also respect the private complainants’ decision not proceed.

“Theoretically the State can still continue the case even with the desistance of the families. But in our regime of law kasi, we give great importance or a lot of importance on the loved ones as the private offended parties, di ba?,” he said.

“The public takes offense that’s why we file the cases against these suspects in behalf of the Republic or the People of the Philippines. But when the families of the private offended parties, which we give very, very heavy bearing to, are the ones who ask their cases to be dismissed, under our legal tradition, we allow it to happen,” he continued.

The case of the sabungeros drew nationwide attention after more than 30 cockfight enthusiasts were reported missing after attending a cockfighting match.

Their families continue to search for them, to this day.

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