Authorities locate cellphones of 2 missing sabungeros

The task force investigating the cases of the missing sabungeros confirmed that it has located the cellphones of two of them.
 
According to Emil Sumangil’s “24 Oras Weekend” report on Saturday, the Special Investigation Task Group Sabungero said it has traced the location of the mobile phones of two of the 34 missing persons.
 
Authorities did not disclose the location of the cellphones.
 
Police Major General Eliseo Cruz of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management said they located the cellphones with the help of the National Telecommunications Commission after a court issued a warrant to disclose computer data.
 
He said different SIM cards were already inserted in the cellphones. However, they were still located with the use of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), which is the serial number of the phone.

“We tried to collect the boxes of the cellphones of the missing sabungeros and there were eight boxes of cellular phones submitted to us by the relatives of the victims. And this is important for further investigation,” Cruz said.
 
The Philippine National Police has already subpoenaed these personalities.

“Ngayon ay ine-engage na ng CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group), in fact, yung possessor of these two cellphones were invited already by the CIDG and they have to answer these questions on why these two cellphones fell on their hands,” Cruz said.

“Hopefully, with the utilization of this technology, malocate natin ang ating mga hinahanap na tao (we can locate the missing persons),” he added.

The relatives of the missing sabungeros expressed gratitude for the development.
 
“Itong sa amin baka pwede pa kami humingi ulit ng tulong sa lahat ng ahensya to follow up yung aming case,” Butch Inonog, father of missing sabungero John Claude Inonog.

(Maybe we can ask for help from other agencies to follow up on our case.)
 
Inonog said apart from the 34 missing persons, there were others who were kidnapped but their relatives did not file charges and decided to remain silent.
 
“Doon sa mga gustong mag-witness na natatakot, huwag po kayong matakot. Tulungan niyo po kami. At doon sa mga biktima pa na mga missing sabungero na hindi lumulutang, panahon na po ngayon para kayo ay lumutang,” Inonog said.
 
(To those who want to become witnesses but are afraid, do not be afraid. Please help us. And to the other victims, this is your chance to come forward.) — Richa Noriega/VBL, GMA News