Arena wants more time in missing players case

MANILA, Philippines — Officials of the Manila Arena have sought an extension to submit documents related to the probe of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) into the disappearance and alleged kidnapping of six cockfight players.

Manila Arena administrator Cesar Sulit and security guards Mark Carlo Zabala, Rogelio Borican, Bergelio Bayog, Joey Pirrira and Arnel Arturo were ordered to appear at the CIDG National Capital Region field office at Camp Crame on Monday.

However, only their lawyer appeared at the CIDG and requested that they be given up to Feb. 8 to submit documents required by the police.

Among the documents the CIDG has ordered Manila Arena representatives to produce are the records of the vehicles that entered the cockpit on Jan. 13, the day the cockfight players went missing.

The six missing players are brothers Marlon and James Baccay, John Claude Inonog, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rondel Cristorum and Rowel Gomez – all from Tanay, Rizal.

The CIDG is investigating the disappearance of at least 26 cockfight enthusiasts in Manila and other parts of Luzon.

Among those listed as missing are Nomer and Jeffrey de Pano, Ricardo Sacdalan, Edgar Tamano, Alexander Quijano, Marlon and James Baccay, John Claude Inonog, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rondel Cristorum.

Rowel Gomez, Michael Bautista, Ronald Diano, Kiel Daniel Bohol, Glenn Germar, Edgar Malaca, Domingo Carable, Erlindo Tahup and Jeyson Amoroto were also listed.

Three more missing?

In Laguna, three more persons – alleged to be financiers connected to cockfighting games – were reported to be missing.

Lt. Col. Paterno Domondon, Sta. Cruz police chief, said the latest missing persons were only identified as Julius Javillo, Marvin and Anna or Hannah.

“No communication, no contact with them and whereabouts of their locations… They were known as financiers, and Julius is the owner of the (AA Cobra Game) farm,” Domondon told The STAR.

The relatives of four men who disappeared on Jan. 14 had been planning to file charges againt Javillo and the two others, according to Domondon.

Mark Paul Fernandin, Milbert John Santos, Ferdinand Dizon and Manny Magbanua left Javillo’s farm in a service van on Jan. 14, police said.

The van was last seen along the highway in Pila, Laguna, Domondon said. Dizon’s partner, Dianne Loyola, said Dizon’s cell phone was later traced to Muntinlupa.

Domondon said the first of the victims – Bautista, Germar, Diano and Bohol – went missing in May 2021.