The law firm of accused and now whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan has withdrawn as his legal counsel in the case of “missing sabungeros” pending before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday, July 15.

The withdrawal of the law firm as far as Patidongan’s case is concerned was confirmed by DOJ Prosecutor General Richard Anthony D. Fadullon in an interview with journalists.

Thus, Fadullon said “we have to see who will represent Patidongan when he appears or is asked to appear in court this coming July 22.”

Patidongan and five other accused are facing before Manila RTC Branch 185 six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) in connection with the 2022 disappearance of six “sabungeros” who were enroute to the cockfight venue Manila Arena from Tanay, Rizal.

Those who disappeared were John Claude Inonog, James E. Baccay, Marlon E. Baccay, Rondel F. Cristorum, Mark Joseph L. Velasco, and Rowel G. Gomez.

Aside from Patidongan, also charged were Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo E. Zabala, Virgilio P. Bayog, Johnry R. Consolacion, and Roberto G. Matillano Jr.

When the hearing resumes on July 22, Fadullon said the prosecution will be presenting two more witnesses.

He said that Patidongan and all the co-accused have all been represented by one law firm.

However, he also said, the law firm withdrew from representing Patidongan when the accused started making public statements on what he allegedly knows about the disappearance of the “sabungeros.”

Meanwhile, Fadullon said the prosecution has yet to receive any sworn statements from Patidongan on the latter’s public statements.

He said “all these revelations which are being made have to be formally presented or submitted to us in the form of affidavits and we have yet to see it.”

“If and when we do see it, we still have to evaluate. We have to see what its impact will be on the cases that are pending,” he also said.

Aside from the Manila RTC case, Fadullon said that three policemen are also facing charges before the RTC in San Pablo, Laguna for similar charges in connection with the missing “sabungeros.”

But he said that all the accused have been granted bail by both the Manila and the San Pablo City RTCs.

In the case of those accused before the Manila RTC, the Court of Appeals (CA) has reversed the grant of bail.

But Fadullon said the Manila RTC has not issued an arrest order because the CA ruling is not yet final and may be appealed to the Supreme Court (SC).

Fadullon underscored that “the position of the department is that, notwithstanding the remedy availed of by the accused in elevating the matter to the Supreme Court, the decision that stands as it is right now is that the bail should not have been granted.”