No member of the so-called “Alpha group” supposedly behind the missing “sabungeros” or cockfight enthusiasts case will be spared justice, said Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
He said that whoever was implicated during the case build-up would be charged—even if they held government seats.
“No sacred cows: kahit mayor, kahit governor, kahit senator, basta kasama sila doon sa Alpha group na ‘yan,” Remulla said in an ambush interview at Camp Crame.
The statement was made in response to key whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan’s revelation that businessman and suspect Charlie “Atong” Ang has been offering bribes worth ₱70 million.
The interior secretary revealed Patidongan has submitted a list of alleged Alpha group members. This means the Department of Justice (DOJ) has likely identified these individuals although the list has yet to be verified.
“Si Totoy ang nagbigay ng listahan, it’s under verification lang so, more or less, alam na ng DOJ kung (sino) ‘yung Alpha group,” he told reporters.
Patidongan accused former National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Retired Lt. Gen. Jonnel Estomo of being an Alpha group member. However, he clarified that Estomo had no hand in the plot to kill the cockfight enthusiasts.
Aside from Estomo, Patidongan named 12 other policemen who disposed of the cockfighters’ bodies once killed.
On the same day, the Philippine National Police Forensic Group (PNP-FG) revealed a photo of one of six skeletal remains believed to be human, which had been recovered during the ongoing retrieval operation in Taal Lake.
