Alert on vs ‘sabungero’ abductors
BACOLOD CITY: The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) is keeping an eye on four of the six suspects linked to the disappearance of six sabungero or cockfight enthusiasts or players.
Capt. Judesses Catalogo, Nocppo spokesman, on Sunday said the four suspects are from Negros Occidental.
Two of them, Roberto Matillano Jr. and Johnny Consolacion, were born in Talisay City and Kabankalan City, respectively, based on wanted posters released by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Friday.
The other suspects whose last known addresses are in Negros Occidental are Mark Carlo Zabala and Virgilio Bayog.
Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Kabankalan City and Himamaylan City were their last known addresses.
Catalogo said the police stations in the cities of Kabankalan, Himamaylan and Talisay, and the towns of Hinigaran and Binalbagan have been alerted.
He added that they have an automatic database wherein once the national headquarters issues a wanted bulletin, all police units will be alerted nationwide.
The Nocppo is coordinating with the CIDG on the immediate arrest of the four suspects.
Catalogo, however, said they have a strong reason to believe that the four may have already left the province shortly or after the wanted posters were released, although they also believe that the four may return to Negors Occidental in the future.
If the four are successfully tracked down and arrested in Negros Occidental, he also said, the four will be transported at once back to Metro Manila to face charges against them.
The other suspects are Julie Patidongan alias Dondon, Virgilio Bayog, and Gleer Codilla alias Gler Cudilla.
An arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention had been issued by the court against the six suspects.
The Department of Justice has offered a P6-million reward for any information leading to the arrest of the six.
CIDG chief BGen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said posters will be distributed nationwide and will be posted in all police units, places of convergence, social media and the CIDG website.
The case of eight cockfighting enthusiasts who disappeared after joining a cockfight at a Manila arena on January 13 last year is one of the eight cases being investigated by the CIDG through Special Investigation Task Group Sabungero.