NAPOLCOM: Most cops linked to missing sabungeros had previous cases but absolved

Most of the 18 cops who are linked to the case of the missing sabungeros or cockfight enthusiasts had previous cases but all of them were exonerated, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) said Thursday.

NAPOLCOM vice chairperson and executive officer Atty. Rafael Vicente Calinisan said that one of the implicated cops even had a total of 13 old administrative cases. 

“One of the recent reports I received on the sabong case. Apparently most, if not all, of the 18 names complained of by alias Totoy have previous admin cases. One of them has 13 cases previously. One has 10 prior cases,” he told reporters in an interview.

According to Calinisan, the previous complaints that were filed against these cops included homicide, robbery-extortion, grave misconduct, among others.

“So yung mga taong ito has homicide cases, robbery-extortion, grave misconduct. Kumbaga kaliwa't kanan ang mga kaso and all of them were exonerated on all charges,” he said.

(These people had homicide cases, robbery-extortion, grave misconduct. They had left and right cases but all of them were exonerated on all charges.)

For Calinisan, if these implicated cops were held accountable for their previous cases, the disappearances of the missing sabungeros could have been avoided.

Calinisan said the NAPOLCOM is now addressing the thousands of backlogs of cases filed before the commission.

Whistleblower and co-accused Julie “Dondon” Patidongan or alias Totoy as well as the families of missing sabungeros on July 14 filed a complaint-affidavit implicating 18 cops who are linked to the disappearances.

On Monday, the NAPOLCOM announced it has imposed a 90-day preventive suspension on 12 involved active police officers. Calinisan said the other six police officers have already been dismissed.

A total of 34 cockfighting enthusiasts have been reported missing from 2021 to 2022. According to the police, the missing personalities were kidnapped allegedly due to match fixing or cheating in the cockfighting games.

Patidongan claimed that the victims were already buried in Taal Lake.

He named businessman Atong Ang as a mastermind in the case and also linked actress Gretchen Barretto to the disappearances. Both have denied the allegations.

On August 1, multiple murder, serious illegal detention, enforced disappearance, direct bribery, and obstruction of justice charges were filed against Ang and others. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News