MANILA, Philippines — Tycoon Atong Ang welcomed the formal filing of cases against him over his alleged involvement in the “missing sabungeros” case, saying he is ready to address the allegations in the appropriate legal forum.
In a statement on Sunday, August 3, Ang, through his lawyer Gabriel Villareal, maintained his innocence and cautioned against the testimony of self-proclaimed whistleblower Julie Patidongan, describing it as “flawed, self-serving, and unsubstantiated.”
“It is from that strategic vantage point that Patidongan was able to upscale from a robbery syndicate to operating his criminal network of illegal gambling, kidnapping, extortion and intimidation, using, without the knowledge of his superiors, the resources and network available to him,” Ang, through Villareal’s statement, read.
“Finding himself under threat of exposure when he was himself tagged in the disappearance of a cockfighting competitor in Manila sometime late last year, he would now point to his superiors as masterminds in an incredulous story he has concocted to avoid the consequences of his criminal designs,” he added.
He also lamented that the public is being "deceived by the wolf in sheep’s clothing," asserting that Patidongan, a "master manipulator," has "embedded himself amongst the victims of the tragedy that he himself has perpetrated."
“Patidongan’s story is a fabrication; he must be exposed as he will soon be,” Ang, through Villareal’s statement, read.
On Saturday, August 1, the families of the cockfight enthusiasts have filed multiple counts of murder and serious illegal detention charges against Ang and his associates.
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Patidongan’s testimony. It can be recalled that Patidongan revealed the missing cockfight enthusiasts, reported missing since 2021, were executed and their bodies thrown into Taal Lake..
He also alleged that Ang, actress Gretchen Barretto and three others were the masterminds behind the disappearance, which they all have denied.
In response, Ang filed cases against Patidongan for conspiracy to commit attempted robbery with violence or intimidation of persons, grave threats, grave coercion, grave slander and for falsely incriminating innocent individuals.
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