House Calls for Probe Into Missing Sabungeros
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is pressing for a thorough investigation into the alarming case of missing sabungeros, following fresh claims from a whistleblower. Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. emphasized the need to uncover the truth, including possible links between the disappearances and drug war death squads.
Abante, former chair of the House human rights committee, filed House Resolution No. 53 to urge the appropriate panel to look into the latest developments surrounding the missing cockfighting enthusiasts.
Connecting Missing Sabungeros to Human Rights Violations
The lawmaker compared the vanishings of these sabungeros to extrajudicial killings seen in the drug war, stressing that this issue goes beyond gambling. “The disappearance of the missing sabungeros is no different from the extrajudicial killings in the fight against illegal drugs, a clear violation of human rights,” Abante said in the resolution.
He added that the tragedy touches on justice, accountability, and respect for human dignity, not just the gambling world. Families of the victims continue to seek justice, much like those affected by EJK cases.
Justice Secretary Links Death Squads to Case
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla recently revealed possible ties between the perpetrators of the drug war and killings related to e-sabong. This disclosure supports calls to reconvene the House quad committee in the 20th Congress to investigate these connections further.
As a co-chair of the quad committee, Abante announced on July 9 that the panel will resume its work to address these intertwined issues.
“The Justice Secretary’s statement is very revealing. We see a strong reason to restart the quad committee to investigate because if there’s a link to the drug war, we must act decisively,” Abante said.
Background of the Missing Sabungeros
In 2022, the Senate launched an inquiry into the disappearance of more than 30 cockfighting enthusiasts, including Ricardo Lasco—a prominent e-sabong master agent abducted by armed men in San Pablo, Laguna, in August 2021.
Witnesses implicated at least five policemen in his abduction. During the Senate hearings, four women identified two officers involved in the case. However, the investigation stalled due to insufficient evidence despite the PNP-CIDG preparing charges against the accused officers.
Whistleblower’s Revelations Bring New Leads
New information emerged in mid-2025 when whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, alias Totoy, claimed that two police officers involved in the missing sabungeros case were also tied to the previous administration’s drug war operations.
Patidongan, one of six security guards accused of abducting the victims, publicly named several personalities allegedly involved and claimed the 34 missing sabungeros were buried in Taal Lake, Batangas. He also said the victims were strangled with tie wire before their bodies were dumped.
Following these claims, Philippine Coast Guard divers found five sacks containing suspected human bones in Taal Lake. PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III confirmed that human remains were recovered from the site.
Justice Secretary Remulla has urged the public to be patient, noting the search for the missing sabungeros could take up to six months.
For more news and updates on the missing sabungeros case, visit Filipinokami.com.
