The Department of Justice said allegations of payout to relatives of the missing sabungeros, even if true, will not directly impact on the charges that were already filed in court. 

DOJ Acting Secretary Fredderick A. Vida said testimonies may be withdrawn but real pieces of evidence of crimes that indeed happened cannot affect the search for truth and justice.

“Receiving money is another matter. What is important is the truth. Did it really happen or or not,” said Vida.

Vida made the statement after relatives of the missing sabungeros have denied any involvement in any out-of-court settlement with the camp of businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang following reports that families of the victims are being encouraged to drop the cases in exchange for a huge sum of money.

Instead, they accused a small group of missing sabungeros relatives of brokering the negotiations with the camp of Ang, and that they are being kept out of the loop for an alleged P1 billion settlement.

“We are not being included in any discussion, yet, we are the ones being accused of receiving millions,” said Ryan Bautista, who identified himself as one of the complainants in the case, during a press conference in Calumpit, Bulacan on Monday, May 25.

Bautista also denied claims that his group is no longer interested in pursuing the case against Ang because they had allegedly been "paid" already.

"After they removed us from the group chat, they are now accusing us of that,” said Bautista.

Another relative, Eloisa Bohol, also denied the claims that they have been receiving monthly financial support from the camp of Ang and maintained that they still want to pursue the case in the interest of justice.

“We are not backing out from the case. Do you think money can buy the justice that we want?,” she said.

The ‘missing sabungeros’ relatives held the presscon following the complaints lodged by their fellow complainants before the National Police Commissiojn (Napolcom).

In the complaint, two police officials were accused of arranging the visit to the dismissed policemen by the relatives of the missing sabungeros. The two cops were already sacked from their posts.

They also alleged that a lawyer of Ang also met them.

This was confirmed by lawyer Caroline Cruz but she denied asking anything in return for the money she gave, stressing that it was a form of help.

Bohol said she was convinced when Cruz told her that, like them, she was also in search of the truth and the financial assistance was the lawyer's way of personally helping their cause.

Meanwhile, another group member Aurelio Panaligan said they are one in calling for a reinvestigation of the case by the Department of Justice.

Panaligan, a victim relative-complainant, said the reinvestigation should be expanded to include other personalities.

In the same press briefing, all members of the group present during the media briefing have expressed dismay over how the case is progressing.