MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the board of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Felix Reyes, decried recent statements of Julie Patidongan, alias “Totoy,” claiming that the retired judge had fixed cases for gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang.

“I categorically deny such wild accusations of Mr. Patidongan. I dare him to identify any specific case of Mr. Atong Ang or anything related to the Sabungero Case, which I understand is still pending in court, that I fixed or settled to the advantage of Mr. Ang. If Mr. Patidongan cannot substantiate his accusation of case-fixing, I ask him to shut up,” Reyes said in an official statement issued by his office yesterday morning.

Reyes, who also previously served as president of the Philippine Judges Association, said that he is open and willing to cooperate with any investigation related to Patidongan’s claims.

Reyes said he was giving the Bureau of Immigration a free hand to look into and release records of his travels abroad since his retirement as judge in October 2021, to verify Patidongan’s claim that he had led foreign travels with fiscals and judges in relation to his supposed case-fixing activities for Ang.

“I find it perhaps, a rare coincidence that these wild accusations of Mr. Patidongan came out a day after I filed my application for the position of Ombudsman,” Reyes said.

Simultaneous search

Authorities have begun scouring multiple locations in Laguna, Batangas, Metro Manila and nearby provinces in search of the remains of 34 missing cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said yesterday.

In an interview with reporters, Torre confirmed that the PNP has been working closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to pursue both criminal and administrative angles in the years-long case.

“There are no major updates overnight, but we are actively working on this case,” Torre said.

The PNP chief said investigators have already visited several sites believed to be dumping grounds for the victims’ bodies.

“As new information comes in, we continue to receive additional leads that help guide our investigation,” he said.

While Torre declined to name specific areas, he said the search teams have been focusing on places typically used to conceal evidence.

“We’ll release a comprehensive report once everything is completed,” he added.

Asked about the possibility of some of the 15 police officers implicated in the case turning into state witnesses, Torre confirmed there are signs that one or two may be willing to cooperate.

“We’re withholding the details for now, given the sensitivity of the matter… but if any of them decide to speak up or become state witnesses, that would be a welcome development. Still, even without their cooperation, we are confident that we can solve this case,” he said.

Torre said authorities are also preparing for search and retrieval operations to begin soon, but noted that weather conditions, such as the expected entry of a storm, could affect the timeline.

Feelers

Napolcom has been receiving feelers from individuals potentially linked to the case of the 34 missing sabungeros, as the administrative probe against police officers tagged in the controversy continues.

Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan said the commission has been receiving informal communications from individuals offering to help or possibly testify in connection with the case.

“We are receiving feelers from different entities, it could be a police officer or even a civilian,” he said.

“We welcome any help from whistleblowers, but these need to be formalized through affidavits. Until we see the documents, everything remains hearsay,” he added.

Calinisan said while the number of involved officers remains fluid, the PNP’s move to place them under restrictive custody is a welcome development, as it gives Napolcom a clear path to proceed with administrative action.

“It’s good for the PNP and Napolcom because now these individuals can file their counter-affidavits and answers. Once a formal complaint affidavit is filed, hopefully by alias Totoy, then we can act,” he noted.

However, Calinisan lamented that as of Tuesday, Napolcom has yet to receive any sworn statement from the whistleblower.

“We don’t have even a single page of his affidavit… we know the story based on accounts, but without a formal document, it remains unofficial. The public is suffering, and this has dragged on too long,” he said.

Calinisan noted that while the criminal investigation may take years, the administrative case could move faster once affidavits are submitted.

“If these police officers are innocent, let’s clear them. If they are guilty, they should be dismissed from service. The administrative route is our chance to see real progress in this case,” he said.

Expanded probe

Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday called for an expanded investigation into the case of the missing sabungeros after the DOJ had raised the possibility of their disappearance being connected to the previous administration’s war on drugs.

In a recent interview with Bilyonaryo News Channel, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla disclosed what he called the “intersection” of the missing sabungeros and the drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Remulla, the operations of many persons linked to the disappearance of the sabungeros were “intertwined” with the anti-narcotics campaign. He added that the suspects in the drug war deaths may have carried out the killing of the cockfighting enthusiasts.

Asked to react to the justice chief’s statement, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro reiterated that President Marcos wants justice for the victims of the crimes.

“If that is what is being uncovered by the investigation, it should be expanded because the crimes committed seemed to be interconnected, if ever this can be proven,” the Palace press officer said in a briefing.

“We are not saying they are already guilty, but the President has really ordered the serving of justice to the victims,” she added.

According to the DOJ, conviction can be achieved even without the remains of the victims.

DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano said in Philippine criminal law, it is “not absolutely necessary” to find the bodies of the victims to prove murder.

“Conviction is still possible without producing the body as long as you prove the fact of death in court. Obviously, presenting the body or remains will be damning evidence of this. Yet, even without presenting the same, there are many other ways to prove the fact of death,” he told reporters.

He said photos or videos of the killing, for example, can establish death.

This legal principle is consistent with the doctrine of ‘corpus delicti,’ which refers not to the body of the deceased, but to the fact that a crime has been committed,” Clavano added.

He explained that “corpus delicti” refers to “the body or substance of the crime itself, not necessarily the physical body of the victim.”

“Corpus delicti in murder means proving that a person died and that the death was the result of a criminal act,” he said. – Mark Ernest Villeza, Alexis Romero, Daphne Galvez, Marc Jayson Cayabyab