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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House inquiry on missing sabungeros sought: 'Modern day horror story'

House inquiry on missing sabungeros sought: 'Modern day horror story'

Published Jul 15, 2025 06:02 pm

At A Glance

  • Calling it a "modern day horror story", Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. is seeking a congressional probe on the alleged abduction, disappearance, and aupposed killings of at least 34 missing "sabungeros" or cockfighing enthusiasts.
House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


Calling it a "modern day horror story", Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. is seeking a congressional probe on the alleged abduction, disappearance, and aupposed killings of at least 34 missing "sabungeros" or cockfighing enthusiasts.
Abante, a co-chairman of the vaunted House quad-committee (quad-comm) during the previous 19th Congress, filed on Tuesday, July 15 House Resolution (HR) No.53, which sought the conduct of the probe by the appropriate committee.
In a press conference after the filing, Abante said that these sabungeros disappeared between 2021 and 2022.
"Many of whom, according to a whistleblower, were abducted, killed, and dumped into Taal Lake on the orders of a powerful e-sabong operator. Now this is a modern-day horror story. You can no longer call this a harmless vice," he said.
"When it ends with bodies dumped in our lakes and families mourning the loss of their loved ones, ang nakataya po dito ay hindi lang pera. Ang nakataya dito ang kalulawa ng ating mga kababayan, ang sinunsugal natin ay ang kinabukasan ng kabataan (What we're betting is our countrymen's soul, what we're wagering is our youth's future)," added the veteran congressman.
Abante is preacher-pastor. He formerly chaired the Committee on Human Rights, thus his strong convictions on the matter.
HR No.53 says the disappearance of the sabungeros "have long been ascribed to Online cockfighting or e-sabong".
"Almost four (4) years after their disappearance there is no conclusive evidence yet on their whereabouts, hence, the reasonable belief that they are already dead; it read.
The Abante resolution cited the recent events on the missing sabungeros issue, specifically the surfacing of witness Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, a.k.a "Totoy".
Patidongan revealed that the missing sabungeros actually total more than 100, and that they were abducted, killed, and dumped at Taal Lake. He claimed that their abduction and disappearance were masterminded by Charlie “Atong’ Ang, whose real name is Charlie ‘Atong’ Tiu Hay Sy Ang; and Getchen Castello Barreto, popularly known as Gretchen Barreto.
"Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang is reportedly the majority stockholder of Lucky 8 Star Quest, Inc. headquartered at Sta. Ana, Manila, and which is one of the two gambling entities granted by Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) license to operate online cockfighting or e-sabong, the other being Belvedere Corp, headed by Bong Pineda," the resolution read.
According to Abante, the disappearance of the sabungeros is no different from the extrajudicial killings (EJK) in the fight against illegal drugs,
He called the issue "a clear violation of human rights which is no longer just about gambling but about justice, accountability, the rule of law, and blatant disrespect of and disregard to the value and dignity of human life".
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