Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa disclosed that vital witnesses might attend the Senate’s second hearing on the case of the 31 online cockfighting enthusiasts who have gone missing on Friday, March 4.
In an interview on CNN Philippines, Dela Rosa said one vital witness, who was with a group of cockfighters, was able to escape while they were leaving the cockfight arena following the advice of one of their companion to leave the area immediately after another group was held.
Both groups, based on the accounts of the witnesses, had members who were abducted.
Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said he is hopeful that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) would be able to find the witnesses and present them to the committee.
“They are very vital witnesses in this case,” said Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
Dela Rosa said the panel has also summoned the security guards of the cockfighting arenas where the abducted persons were last seen, saying these are now considered “crime scenes.”
The senator’s office also said businessman Atong Ang has confirmed he would also appear in the Senate probe.
Ang, owner of Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc. was mentioned in the last hearing by the sister of Ricardo Lasco, one of the missing persons, when she informed the panel about a video where the businessman called out erring agents whom he accused of stealing videos from his “e-sabong” firm and diverting these to a “cloned” website.
Dela Rosa also confirmed that the Office of the President has already received a hard copy of the Senate Resolution 996 calling for the suspension of all online cockfighting operations pending the resolution of the cases of the disappearance of 31 individuals.
President Duterte, the senator said, has given his approval to the Senate resolution. All they are waiting now is for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to suspend the licenses of all “e-sabong” operators in the country.
“On the part of, sa Senado, we are hoping for their (Pagcor) swift and decisive action because, sabi ko nga, hihintayin pa ba natin na madagdagan na naman ‘yung numbers ng missing persons dito sa e-sabong kung magpapatuloy ‘yan (are we going to wait for the numbers of the missing persons here to increase if we allow them to continue)?” Dela Rosa pointed out.
“Mamaya mayroon na namang mangyari na tiyopean (game fixing) at magkakaroon na naman ng abduction (There could be another game fixing and another set of abduction could happen again),” the lawmaker warned.