6 guards held for 6 sabungeros’ kidnap

MANILA, Philippines — After eluding authorities for several months, six guards suspected in the kidnapping of six cockfighting aficionados at the Manila Arena last year were arrested in Parañaque City yesterday afternoon.

Philippine National Police chief (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. announced the arrest of Julie Patidongan, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Roberto Matillano Jr., Johnry Consolacion and Gleer Codilla.

The six were arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Jackielou and Fortunata Villages in Parañaque at around 1:45 p.m.

Also arrested for obstruction of justice were Melchor Neri and Victorino Jocosol.

Acorda said the suspects’ arrest was the product of two months of surveillance and intelligence-driven operations.

“I would like to commend the CIDG for their unrelenting efforts that led to the arrest of the six suspects,” Acorda said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.

A Manila court has issued warrants for the suspects’ arrest on charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of sabungeros James Bacay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, John Claude Venson Inonog and Rowel Gomez.

The suspects, security guards at the Manila Arena, were tagged by witnesses as the people who kidnapped the victims on Jan. 13, 2022.

Col. Jacinto Malinao, who heads the CIDG’s Calabarzon field office, said they monitored the suspects’ movements for the past three days following a breakthrough in the manhunt, which he attributed to tips from several informants.

“They have been transferring from different places so it is a very challenging activity,” he said, noting the suspects’ movements were erratic.

Malinao said the next phase is to gather information from the suspects to determine the masterminds in the sabungeros’ kidnapping.

He said police are conducting an investigation to determine who owns the safe houses where the suspects stayed.