Families of missing sabungeros deny being paid off

Families of missing sabungeros on Friday said they filed their counter-affidavits with the Department of Justice (DOJ), denying allegations of other families that they were paid off in exchange for not attending trial hearings.

They issued the remark following a preliminary hearing on an obstruction of justice complaint.

“Totoo naman ‘yun. Hindi kami nagpabayad,” Eloisa Bohol, mother of Kiel Bohol, said in an ambush interview.

(That’s true. We were not paid off.)

“Hindi po kami umaatras sa kaso. Wala pa pong nangyayaring hearing kasi ‘yung kaso namin, ‘yung Sta. Cruz, nilipat pa po sa Quezon City. Tuloy pa rin ‘yung laban ng kaso namin,” she added.

(We are not backing away from the case. There has not yet been any hearing because our Sta. Cruz case has been transferred to Quezon City. We are continuing to pursue the case.)

In May, Charlene Lasco, sister of Ricardo Lasco, filed an obstruction of justice complaint against lawyer Caroline Cruz, the lawyer of businessman Atong Ang, and three others for allegedly offering cash to their group.

She alleged that some would receive P20,000 or P40,000 every month. Diane Loyola, the wife of one of the missing sabungeros, also alleged that instead of 19, only three are attending the cases at Sta. Cruz.

For his part, Ryan Bautista, brother of Michael Bautista, claimed it was the other families who wanted cash.

“PI lang po para patunayan namin na wala pong areglo. At the same time, sila lang po ang may gusto ng malaking pera,” he said.

(We attended the PI to prove that there was no settlement. At the same time, they are the ones who want a large amount of money.)

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.

Ang has denied the allegations against him. An Interpol red notice was issued against Ang in April.

The government has offered a P20-million reward for information leading to Atong Ang’s arrest. — RSJ, GMA News