Shadow over sabong: How media tracked the disappearances to discover a mass murder

MORE THAN three years have passed since the disappearance of some 32 sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts was first reported in the news. With a lack of evidence to move the story forward, the news waned, overtaken by other developments. 

On June 17, a whistleblower came forward telling the story to GMA-7, alleging mass murder and the involvement of high-profile names in the tragic scandal. The tragedy of the missing sabungeros has now become a deeply disturbing scandal. News reported the whistleblower’s claim that implicated billionaire gaming mogul Charlie “Atong” Ang as mastermind, and tagging in its tale, celebrity Gretchen Barretto.

A trail of disappearances: From missing persons to alleged murder victims 

Between April 2021 and January 2022, sabungeros were reported missing in Manila, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, and Rizal. The victims were last seen in cockfight arenas or on their way home from matches. But in the weeks that followed, no follow-up reports confirmed their whereabouts. 

At the time, media coverage was standard routine: interviews with families pleading for information, details of police conducting separate investigations, and calls to suspend e-sabong (online cockfighting) for the sake of public safety. 

Senate hearings in early 2022 gave the story national significance. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa led inquiries into the potential role of e-sabong operators and police officers. Charlie Ang, whose firm Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc. was one of the main e-sabong licensees, was named and questioned. The Senate later recommended a deeper investigation into Ang’s operations, though no charges were filed. Ang denied any involvement.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte dismissed concerns, saying e-sabong earned PHP640 million monthly for the government. The issue further faded from headlines when the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chair Andrea Domingo resigned in August 2022 and then-President Duterte ordered a shutdown of e-sabong, only after pressure from his own national security adviser, General Eduardo Año.

Enter whistleblower

In June 2025, the emergence of a whistleblower in the person of Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, revived interest in the story. Patidongan, a former security officer involved in cockfighting operations, said that the missing sabungeros had been abducted and killed, their bodies dumped in sacks in the waters of Taal Lake. 

The following day, another report by Emil Sumangil of GMA-7 elaborated on Patidongan’s claims, where he named Ang, Barretto, and other associates as masterminds.

His account described how victims were strangled with wire, loaded into marked security vehicles, and dumped in the lake waters. The Department of Justice identified Ang and Barretto as persons of interest. Twelve police officers were also charged administratively, either for complicity or failure to act.

After years of no news, headlines and reports recast the missing sabungeros as victims of a systematic killing, highlighting the impunity of the wealthy and powerful. 

Daily updates to deeper questions

Philippine media have since reported every development as the case unfolded. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that the DOJ would coordinate with forensic teams to explore Taal Lake using advanced sonar technology from Japan. Divers have already located several suspicious sacks submerged in the lake, and DNA processing is underway to determine if any remains match those of the missing sabungeros. 

News cited forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, who said that high-profile allegations must be matched with clear, verifiable evidence. In several interviews, Fortun emphasized the importance of DNA confirmation, the challenges posed by underwater recovery, and the need for independent medical examinations. 

Headlines and coverage included the families, expressing the emotional toll of years of waiting, of questions without answers, their need for more evidence, and acknowledging that only the court can bring closure. 

As the case unfolded, the media reported with a broader lens, expanding beyond the personal and procedural to the system itself. 

Cristina Baclig of Inquirer.net called attention to the human cost of unregulated online gambling, recounting the experience of families who had become victims because of the addiction of one member to gambling. Tracing the rise and fall of e-sabong, Baclig detailed the involvement of the state in the rapid expansion of online cockfighting. Only when the toll on human life had been demonstrated did the government retreat from its endorsement. 

Notably, Jairo Bolledo of Rappler and Kurt Dela Pena of Inquirer.net traced Ang’s long-standing influence in the gambling world, linking his rise to deep political ties, particularly under the Duterte administration. Bolledo detailed Ang’s entanglement in past cases involving jueteng, STL, and illegal gambling—none of which led to conviction. Inquirer.net recalled that Ang served as a gambling consultant during the Estrada presidency, pointing to the significant fact that he survived plunder charges in that turbulent passage and re-emerged as the face of e-sabong. 

All of the media also highlighted the claim of the whistleblower, Patidongan, that some of the police officers implicated in the sabungeros case were previously involved in Duterte’s drug war operations—raising the possibility that the case could bolster the International Criminal Court’s investigation into state-sanctioned killings under the former president.

A test for justice, a test for the press

The scattered reports about missing sabungeros have become a complex story of organized crime and high-stakes gambling; its telling highlights yet another institutional failure on the part of the government to manage and supervise gambling.

Legal developments should be followed closely, including hearings, court motions, and attempts to discredit witnesses. The press must also keep victims and families at the center of the story, amplifying their calls for truth and accountability. Humanizing their experience underscores what’s truly at stake: not just justice for the missing, but systemic reform.Beyond the crime, journalists must examine the structures that allowed these disappearances to happen — e-sabong regulation, law enforcement lapses, and failures in oversight. The missing sabungeros case is no longer just about criminal culpability; it is a test of whether Philippine institutions can hold the powerful to account, and whether the press has the resolve to keep asking the hard questions.