Patidongan brothers in safe, undisclosed location – lawyer

The kin of the missing sabungeros (cockfight enthusiasts) on Thursday urged the government to ensure that the state witnesses – the Patidongan brothers – are sufficiently and adequately protected especially with recent positive developments concerning the case.

According to Emil Sumangil’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, brothers Dondon and Elakim Patidongan – the main witnesses in the case – are being secured by government agents in an undisclosed location.

“Binabantayan sila ng gobyerno… Sa ngayon, hindi ko alam kung nasaan ang mga exact location nila,” said Manual Ventura, lawyer of the Patidongan brothers.

(The government is watching over them... Right now, I do not know their exact locations.)  

Ventura said his clients’ safety are now at greater risk after the issuance of arrest warrants against Charlie “Atong” Ang and the other accused in the missing sabungeros case.

“Napaka-kritikal ng kanilang mga kalagayan, napaka-importante ng role nila rito. The fact na ikaw ay binabantayan ng gobyerno, mayroon kang continuing threats,” the lawyer said.

(Their situation is very critical, their role here is extremely important. The fact that you are being guarded by the government means that you are facing continuing threats.) 

The kin of the missing sabungeros also called on the government to ensure that the Patindongan brothers are protected so that they could attain justice.

“Sana ‘yung witness namin is ma-proteksyunan hanggang dulo, at hindi magkaroon ng bias doon sa kaso. Nanawagan po ako na sana po proteksyunan, alagaan ninyo ‘yung witness namin. Siya na lang po ‘yung natitirang pag-asa namin para makamit itong hustisya na ‘to,” said Dianne Loyola. 

(I hope our witness would be protected until the very end and that no bias occurs in the case. I am calling on you to please protect and take care of our witness. He is our only remaining hope in attaining justice.) 

Ventura also sought prayers for himself and the Patidongan brothers.

“Ipagdasal ninyo kami, ‘yung kliyente namin, buong pamilya nila, safety nila. Dahil nakakasalalay dito ‘yung hustisya sa mga pinaslang na mga sabungero,” he said. 

(Please pray for us, for our clients, for their entire families, and for their safety. Justice for the murdered cockfighters depends on this.) 

Meanwhile, the victims’ families said they are thankful that they are finally seeing a glimmer of hope in the case.

“Masayang-masaya po kami ngayon, dahil ito na po ‘yung matagal na naming pinakahihintay na magkaroon ng warrant of arrest kay Mr. Atong Ang,” said Ryan Bautista. 

(We are very happy right now because this is what we have been waiting for a long time – for a warrant of arrest to be issued against Mr. Atong Ang.) 

Ryan is the brother of Michael, who was seen on video while being escorted out of a cockfighting arena in Santa Cruz, Laguna allegedly controlled by Ang.

Ryan also has a message to Rodelio Anig-Ig and Roger Burican, who are already in police custody after being identified by Patidongan.

“Kay Anig-Ig at Burican, ito na ‘yung pagkakataon natin na talagang mapatunayan niyo kung talagang hindi kayo ang may gawa sa kuya ko noon. Sana ito na ‘yung pagkakataon namin na makuha na yung hustisya para sa kuya ko,” he said. 

(To Anig-ig and Burican, this is your chance to really prove if you truly weren’t the ones who did that to my brother back then. I hope this is finally our chance to get justice for my brother.) 

The families of the missing enthusiasts also told Ang to finally surface and prove his innocence.

“Kay Mr. Atong Ang, di ba sinasabi mo inosente ka? Ngayon mo patunayan ‘yung pagiging inosente mo, sumuko ka. Harapin mo ‘yung kaso. Doon na lang po tayo magharap, patunayan mo kung takagang inosente ka,” said Bautista. 

(To Mr. Atong Ang, didn’t you say you are innocent? Now is the time to prove your innocence, surrender. Face the case. Let’s face each other there, prove that you are really innocent.) 

“Dismayado po kami, kasi kung ‘di siya lilitaw, mas lalo kaming maniniwala na kasalanan niya lahat to, lahat ng nangyari sa kaanak po namin. Kasalanan niya po yun, paano namin malalaman ang panig niya kung hindi siya susuko,” said Eloisa Bohol. 

(We are dismayed, because if he doesn’t show up, we will only believe that all of this is his fault, everything that happened to our relatives. It’s his fault, how will we know his side if he doesn’t surrender?) 

“Hindi pa ganoon kasaya yung nararamdaman namin. Dahil unang-una, hindi pa siya totally nahuhuli, hindi malaman kung nasaan siya ngayon. Kung talagang wala siyang kasalanan, kung talagang totoo ‘yung mga pinagsasabi niya, bakit siya nagtatago ngayon, bakit hindi siya humarap,” said Loyola. 

(We aren’t not that happy yet. Because first of all, he hasn’t been caught, no one knows where he is. If he is really blameless, if what he’s saying is true, why is he in hiding, why doesn’t he face the charges.)

In response to the allegations of Ang’s lawyer that the issuance of an arrest warrant is premature, Ventura said: “Alam mo, kahit law student, alam na ‘yan na kapag ang korte ay nagkaroon na ng jurisdiction sa isang kaso, ide-determine niya lang ang probable cause. The fact na mayroon ka ng moral certainty of conviction, na dinetermine ng Department of Justice (DOJ).” 

(You know, even a law student knows that once the court has gained jurisdiction over a case, it will simply determine probable cause. The fact is the Department of Justice has already determined a moral certainty of conviction.) 

The families of the missing sabungeros also vowed to continue their fight to include other members of the so-called ‘Alpha Group’ in the charges.

This was after the members of the Alpha Group were removed from the list of individuals allegedly involved in the case.

“Kung ikaw ay isa sa mga may-ari ng isang organisasyon, kasama ka doon. Lahat ng nangyayari sa loob ng organisasyon mo, alam mo yon, kasi kasapi ka doon. Di po kami naniniwala na wala siyang alam. Hindi nga siguro siya ang pumatay sa mga kamag-anak namin, pero naniniwala ako na may alam sila,” Bohol said. 

(If you are one of the owners of an organization, you are part of it. Everything that happens inside your organization, you know about it, because you are a member. We don’t believe that he knows nothing. He might not have been the one who killed our relatives, but I believe they know something about it.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/JMA, GMA Integrated News