Suspect in missing 'sabungeros' case also facing attempted murder, kidnapping complaints in Rizal

One of the suspects behind the disappearance of several cockfight enthusiasts or "sabungero" is also facing complaint for attempted murder and kidnapping that were filed by a Dumagat family in Tanay, Rizal in 2019.

According to Emil Sumangil's report on GMA News' Unang Balita on Friday, the complainant said suspect Julie Patidongan or “Dondon” shot him as well as his father in separate incidents over a land dispute.

“Isang dipa lang ang pagitan namin. Tapos bigla siya bumababa ng sasakyan. Napalingon ako ng ganyan. Yun may gamit siyang baril, tapos bigla niya akong pinutukan,” he said.

(He was so close to me. He alighted from a vehicle. I looked at him. He had a gun, then he suddenly fired at me.) 

“Kinabukasan po, nabalitaan ko 'yung tatay ko naman binaril din nila kasama pa rin yung pamangkin ko [The next day, I learned that they also shot my father who was with my nephew],” he added.

According to the complainant, they filed the complaint in Binangonan, Rizal, but there has been no progress on it.

The complainant said he previously worked for Patidongan building fences, but he stopped when the suspect allegedly tried to grab their family’s property.

GMA Integrated News is still trying to get the side of Patidongan.

Recently, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) released composite sketches of two suspects, including Patidongan, in the disappearance of a cockfight enthusiast in Laguna.

The CIDG obtained a phone video where the two suspects and Michael Bautista, one of the victims, were seen outside a cockfighting arena in Santa Cruz on April 28, 2021.

A concerned citizen gave information about the identity of the other suspect in the video.

“Noong nag-stalk ako sa Facebook niya, 'yun kasa-kasama niya rin yun si Patidongan. Kung kilala ng mga pulis, sabi nila tukuyin na, baka siguro ito yun,” the concerned citizen said.

(I was stalking his Facebook account and he was always with Patidongan. If the police know about him, they said identify him, I think he was the one.)

The family of the victims will relay this information to the case conference of the Special Investigation Task Group where they are invited to attend.

Butch Inonog, father of one of the missing “sabungeros” Jean Claude Inonog, said the second man identified by the concerned citizen was a roving security personnel at a cockfight arena.

“Mukhang 'yun nga yung pinakikita ng isang concerned citizen. Parang yun yung second man na sinasabing pulis pero hindi po pulis ito, ito po 'yung roving security,” he said.

(It seems the person that the concerned citizen showed us is the suspect. It seems he is the second man, who was earlier identified as a cop but he is not a cop, he is a roving security.)

Initially, complaints have been filed against eight identified persons and several John Does involved in the Manila Arena case and against five police personnel and their cohorts in the Ricardo Lasco kidnapping  early this year, the CIDG said.

More complaints have been filed against Patidongan and his companion in connection with Bautista’s disappearance.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News