DOJ junks complaint in missing sabungero case

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday dismissed a complaint against a farm manager over the disappearance of a sabungero or cockfighting aficionado in April 2021.

The DOJ dismissed the complaint of kidnapping and serious illegal detention against Julie Patidongan for lack of probable cause.

Michael Bautista’s relatives identified Patidongan as one of two men seen in a video holding the victim as he was being handcuffed outside a cockfighting arena in Sta. Cruz, Laguna on April 28, 2021.

The DOJ’s panel of prosecutors dismissed the complaint filed by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group since none of the faces in the 12-second video are visible.

“This lack of clear visibility hinders the process of identifying the individuals solely based on their appearance,” the DOJ said.

A critical witness also failed to appear before the panel of prosecutors to affirm the statements made in his affidavit.

“This absence weakens the overall evidentiary foundation surrounding the case,” the DOJ said.

The evidence presented, it added, is not sufficient to “firmly establish” the identity of perpetrators, according to the prosecutors.

In a press briefing yesterday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the prosecutors should not have dismissed the complaints due to the police’s failure to authenticate evidence.

The prosecutors “have the duty to authenticate all of these things. We are not enemies of the police, we should be the ones telling the police what to do so that they will do it right,” Remulla said.

He noted that complainants may refile the case when they have stronger evidence.

Criminal complaints have been filed against eight suspects and several John Does tagged in the disappearance of 34 sabungeros, most of whom are believed to have been kidnapped from cockfighting areas in Manila, Laguna and Batangas in 2021.