2021–2022 Philippines sabungeros disappearance

Disappearance of Philippine cockfighting enthusiasts

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Missing sabungerosDate| May 10, 2021 – March 4, 2022

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Location|

* Laguna
* Batangas
* Manila
* Bulacan

Missing| 34
Accused| 8

Since May 2021, at least 34 cockfight enthusiasts or players (locally called sabungeros) have disappeared in different areas of Luzon in the Philippines.

Out of the 34 sabungeros  that are still missing as of March 4, 2022, 19 are from Laguna, six are from Manila, six are from Batangas, and two are from Bulacan. One of the 19 from Laguna was confirmed to have been kidnapped.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Disappearances
* 2 Investigations
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## Disappearances[edit]

On May 10, 2021, the first reported disappearance of a sabungero was recorded, who participated in a cockfighting event in Santa Cruz, Laguna.[2]

CCTV footage dated August 30, 2021, showed a group of men storming the house of 48-year-old Ricardo Lasco in San Pablo, Laguna. Several minutes later, Lasco was seen escorted out of the house, along with a box allegedly containing jewelry, watches, and money, before riding away. Lasco has since not been found.[3] According to his relatives, Lasco was a chicken breeder and a "master agent" of online cockfighting, known locally as e-sabong.[3]

On January 5, 2022, Jeffrey and Nomer Depano from Hagonoy, Bulacan failed to return home after they went to a cockfighting event in Lipa, Batangas. The Depano brothers were in a van, which was later found abandoned two days later near a bridge along MacArthur Highway. The police found their clothes still inside the van.[4] According to their parents, Jeffrey was only brought along by Nomer due to a lack of players at the event, despite the former having no prior experience in cockfighting.[5] On January 6, also in Hagonoy, three other residents, Edgar Malaca, Alexander Quijano, and Atong Sacdalan were reportedly missing after telling their respective families that they were going to Lipa, supposedly to attend an online sabong event.[4]

On January 13, 2022, four cockfighting players went missing from the Manila Arena,[6] followed by six more players from the same area.[7] CCTV footage dated the same day showed a convoy of vehicles driving away from the Manila Arena in Santa Ana, Manila. One vehicle spotted in the convoy was a Toyota Tamaraw FX ridden by the neighbors of a cockfight player who went missing in Rizal. The FX stopped at Osmeña Highway, where an unknown man was seen getting out of the car and transferring to the tailing car.[8]

On January 31, 2022, the relatives of 18 sabungeros held a protest along Mendiola Street in Manila, calling the government to speed up the investigation.[9]

A luxury car used to transport the cockfight enthusiasts was found abandoned on February 4, 2022, in a restaurant in Malate, Manila. The car reportedly still had its engine running. Police investigators looked into the incident as a possible kidnapping, but could not find any evidence.[9]

## Investigations[edit]

On February 8, 2022, the Philippine National Police stated that they identified multiple persons of interest in connection to the missing cockfight enthusiasts. The police said that the investigators talked to the cockfight arena managers and the security guards before the disappearance took place. The investigators eyed match fixing and double crossing[3] as the cause of the disappearances.[10]

On February 12, 2022, Senator Leila de Lima expressed concern over the missing cockfight players, and also lamented for "seemingly slow pace of investigation".[11] Three days later, the relatives of missing cockfight enthusiasts held a prayer vigil in front of the Commission of Human Rights.[3] On February 17, 2022, Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the disappearance of over 20 sabungeros.[12]

On February 28, 2022, the Philippine Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Senator Ronald dela Rosa filed Senate Resolution No. 996,[13] urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to suspend the operation of e-sabong.[14]

On February 25, 2022, a social media post claimed that the bodies of alleged missing cockfight enthusiasts were found in Tanay, Rizal. However, the police debunked the claim, proving that the images were taken on February 12, when the police investigated an ambush in Guindulungan, Maguindanao.[15][16] The police have also condemned the post as misinformation in an attempt to derail their investigation.[17]

The sibling of one of the missing sabungeros, Ricardo Lasco Jr. stated that the armed men on August 30, 2021, identified themselves as agents of the NBI. The men presented an arrest warrant and refused to identify themselves, explaining that Lasco was charged for "large scale estafa". According to San Pablo City Chief of Police Gary Alegre, the NBI did not conduct an operation on that day. Dela Rosa suggests that e-sabong "website cloning" or spoofing, could be a possible cause for Lasco's disappearance.[18] At least two police officers were implicated in abduction of Lasco in Laguna but both denied their involvement.[19]

On March 16, 2022, the police identified eight people involved in the disappearances.[20] On March 17, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lamented the possibility that the missing 36 sabungeros are "dead". Dela Rosa also stated that the missing sabungeros are presumed dead due to the lack of any recovered remains. Duterte also rejected the earlier appeal of the Senate to suspend e-sabong operations, stating that it would lose the Philippine government approximately ₱640 million (12.15 million US dollars) in revenue, adding up to billions of pesos in a year. He noted that the disappearances of the sabungeros are not the fault of the e-sabong event management, but of bad actors involved in e-sabong events.[21]

On March 21, 2022, witnesses implicated businessman Atong Ang in the disappearances of the cockfight players. Ang, however, denied the allegations against him.[22]

On May 4, 2022, Duterte ordered the termination of e-sabong operations as a result of social cost caused by the gambling activity.[23]

## See also[edit]

* List of kidnappings
* List of people who disappeared

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Mga nawawalang sabungero, 34 na". GMA News. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
2. ^ "PNP adds two more in list of 'missing sabungeros'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
3. ^ a b c d "Pagdukot sa isang sabungero noong 2021, nahuli-cam; biktima, 'di pa rin nakikita". GMA News (in Tagalog). Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
4. ^ a b "Cops identify person of interest in disappearance of Bulacan cockfighters". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
5. ^ "Kaanak ng mga nawawalang sabungero, umaapelang mahanap ang mahal sa buhay". ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog). Retrieved March 1, 2022.
6. ^ "Two more cockfighting players added in the long list of missing sabungero". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
7. ^ "NBI told to investigate missing 'sabungeros'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
8. ^ "Impormante, may isiniwalat tungkol sa umano'y nangyari sa ilang sabungerong nawawala". GMA News. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
9. ^ a b "Car abandoned in Malate; kidnapping eyed". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
10. ^ "PNP, may persons of interest na sa nawawalang mga sabungero". GMA News (in Tagalog). Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
11. ^ "De Lima airs concern over missing sabungeros". The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
12. ^ "DOJ orders NBI probe into missing 'sabungeros'". GMA News. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
13. ^ "Senate Resolution No. 996" (PDF). Senate of the Philippines. February 28, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
14. ^ Tamayo, Bernadette E. (February 25, 2022). "Senate panel seeks to stop e-sabong". The Manila Times. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
15. ^ "PNP says photos of missing 'sabungeros' actually from Maguindanao ambush". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
16. ^ "PNP to look into disinformation try in 'e-sabong' probe". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
17. ^ "PNP calls out disinformation on alleged bodies of missing 'sabungeros'". GMA News. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
18. ^ "Pag-clone sa e-sabong website ibinibintang sa nawawalang sabungero". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
19. ^ "Policemen implicated in Laguna sabungero abduction". Rappler. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
20. ^ "Identified suspects in missing sabungeros case now 8, Año says". GMA News. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
21. ^ "Duterte says missing sabungeros are dead". CNN Philippines. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
22. ^ "Atong Ang, idinawit ang pangalan sa kaso ng mga nawawalang sabungero". The Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
23. ^ "Duterte stops 'e-sabong,' cites survey by DILG". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 7, 2022.