Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government is checking reports that gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang, wanted for the kidnapping and disappearance of cockfight aficionados or sabungeros, has fled to Cambodia or Thailand. The tip came from whistleblower Julie Patidongan; no official departure records exist.
MANILA, Philippines — Following recent arrest warrants issued against Charlie “Atong” Ang and associates for the 2022 kidnapping and presumed homicide of over 100 sabungeros, the government is probing tips that the gambling tycoon has fled abroad.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the verification of information from whistleblower Julie Patidongan, a former associate of Ang facing her own warrants. “Raw information... he has access to Cambodia,” Remulla said, noting Ang's alleged online cockfighting operations there and in Thailand—areas where banned Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) have relocated post-Marcos ban.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed no records of Ang, a Filipino citizen, leaving through official ports. “He did not pass there... so if true, he went through the backdoor,” Remulla stated. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval affirmed assistance to the Department of Justice.
Tracker teams have raided eight sites on tips, including game farms in Lipa City, Batangas; Porac, Pampanga; and Negros Island, plus Ang’s Pasig residence and his sister’s Makati home—yielding no arrest. If confirmed abroad, Remulla plans to raise it with President Marcos, ASEAN chair, for talks with Cambodia and Thailand leaders.
Ang, who surrendered five of six firearms, remains armed and dangerous given his resources—“P1 billion a day” earnings, per Remulla. To curb bribery risks ("hulidap"), body cameras are mandated for raids.
