Atong Ang’s government links biggest challenge to arrest —SILG Remulla

The connections of Atong Ang within various levels of government is the biggest obstacle to his arrest, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday.

“Ang pinakamahirap na bahagi ng trabaho talaga 'yung penetration niya sa lahat ng hanay ng gobyerno,” Remulla said in an interview on Unang Balita.

“Sa dami ng pera niya, ang hirap maghanap ngayon ng katiwala na utusan o bigyan ka ng solid na trabaho para mahanap siya. We know ganun kalalim 'yun. P1 billion a day for five years ang kinikita niya,” he added

According to Remulla, Ang may be still in the Philippines or in Cambodia. The BI said there is no record of any recent travel by Ang. 

Authorities have launched operations in 18 possible locations of Ang in the past 20 days but the businessman remains at large.

A P10-million reward is being offered for information on Ang’s location.

Arrest warrants have been issued against Ang and others, stemming from multiple counts of kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the missing sabungeros case.

Philippine authorities have requested the issuance of an Interpol red notice against Ang.

As defined by the Interpol, a red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. 

The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.

Ang has denied the allegations against him.

His lawyer, Atty. Gabriel Villareal, previously described the Laguna court's arrest warrant as “premature” and “legally questionable,” as it supposedly failed to meet the constitutional standards that should have been observed under the circumstances.

“Clearly, the court merely acted on the incomplete and one-sided information provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in its determination of probable cause, without having even seen the counter affidavits and exculpatory evidence of the respondents, including that of Mr. Ang,” Villareal said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News