By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has doubled the reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of fugitive businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang.
“We are increasing the bounty for Atong Ang to P20 million for information leading to his arrest. We’re serious here,” DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla said at a press briefing on Thursday, adding the money will be sourced from the confidential funds provided to the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Ang, who has three standing warrants of arrest, is the principal accused in the disappearance of 34 “sabungeros” allegedly involved in game-fixing. His 20 co-accused, which include dismissed and active policemen, have all been arrested.
Remulla said police manhunt against Ang in the country is ongoing despite claims that the businessman has already fled abroad, particularly to Cambodia.
“We really believe nandito pa siya,” he said, adding that Cambodian authorities have reported that Ang is not in their country.
E-sabong
In a related development, the PNP on Thursday said it is committed to further intensify coordinated efforts against the resurgence of illegal online cockfighting, or e-sabong, in the country.
PNP Chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said he already tasked police commanders down to the cities and municipalities to provide assistance to the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) in terms of monitoring and intelligence-gathering as to the sources of the live feeds in their respective areas of responsibility.
“We in the Philippine National Police remain focused in the campaign to stop all forms of illegal gambling. In the case of online sabong, there are difficulties that are faced along the way, especially with the evolving nature of cybercrimes,” Nartatez said in a statement.
“But we continue to take all these difficulties as a challenge to further improve and come up with new measures to address the problem.”
Nartatez said the PNP-ACG and the Intelligence Group (IG) have been working together in tracking and shutting down illegal e-sabong operations in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Remulla to rid the country of all forms of illegal gambling.
