The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its investigation into the mysterious disappearance of 20 men who were last seen in different cockfighting arenas.
Police Gen. Dionardo Carlos, PNP chief, said that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is looking at the possibility that a big syndicate is behind the disappearance of the cockfighters who went missing after visiting different arenas in Laguna, Manila, and Bulacan.
“The CIDG is now connecting the dots. These incidents do have a lot in common. We will find out if there is a syndicate behind these cases,” Carlos said on Friday, Jan. 28.
The first incident happened on Jan. 13 when four male friends were reported missing after joining a cockfight tournament in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
A closed circuit television (CCTV) footage from the arena showed that the vehicle used by the victims was seen exiting the coliseum but it was not clear if the victims were inside it. Another CCTV footage revealed that the vehicle was seen going to Manila.
On the same day, six men went missing as well after participating in a cockfight game in Manila.
The plot thickens when ten cockfighters from Bulacan are added to the list of the missing individuals. Their kin said that it has been more than eight months now since their disappearance.
The CIDG found out that the missing Bulacan cockfighters also went to the same arena in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
The CIDG appealed to the management of the cockfighting arenas to cooperate in the investigation so that the handlers or financiers of the missing men will be identified by the police.