ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & LAW | MANILA, Philippines: Whistleblower to file counter raps vs Atong
Whistleblower on missing cockfight aficionados says sworn affidavit completed | ANC
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Affidavit to be submitted vs 15 cops; Taal search yields more sacks
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MANILA, Philippines — Will it finally be revealed who between whistleblower Julie Patidongan, alias Totoy, and his former boss Charlie “Atong” Ang is telling the truth?
Patidongan, who is facing several criminal complaints filed by Ang, said he will answer all of the latter’s allegations and then similarly file charges against the gaming tycoon.
Patidongan will visit the National Police Commission today where he is expected to meet with Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan and provide his written testimony against cops allegedly involved in the disappearance of the sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts.
“I will file complaints against the police officers I previously mentioned,” Patidongan said in Filipino in a dzBB interview.
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Calinisan earlier urged Patidongan to come forward and submit his complaint affidavit so that they can strengthen their own probe on the police officers.
Fifteen police officers were relieved from their posts and placed under restrictive custody at Camp Crame after being tagged by Patidongan for the sabungeros’ disappearance.
One of the police officers, whom Patidongan said is on active duty, allegedly owns a fishpond where the sabungeros were buried.
Patidongan admitted he has no idea exactly where in Taal Lake the victims’ remains were dumped.
“I cannot recall how many bodies were dumped there, but based on videos sent to me, bodies were really dumped there,” he said.
Patidongan said it is also possible that after the sabungeros were killed, the perpetrators chopped their remains to pieces, placed in sacks filled with sand and dumped them in the lake.
Thirty-four sabungeros have been identified as missing but Patidongan said there are actually over 108 killed, allegedly on Ang’s orders.
Ang has filed complaints of attempted robbery with intimidation of persons, grave threats, grave coercion, slander and incriminating against innocent persons against Patidongan.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice’s parallel investigation is not aimed at particular personalities, one of its officials said yesterday.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez made the clarification after Patidongan named Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto in the case.
“It’s not personality driven. There is nothing personal about it, it’s more on just business as usual and what we are after is evidence,” he said.
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Vasquez said they are currently collating pieces of evidence to strengthen the cases that may be filed in court as he pointed out it is difficult if the charges are only base on speculations.
“It’s easy to judge, it’s easy to point fingers, but it is very difficult to produce proof, especially since proof beyond reasonable doubt is what’s required,” he said.
More bones
Technical divers yesterday recovered at least two more sacks containing suspected bones at the bottom of Taal Lake, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab confirmed to The STAR.
Cayabyab said the recovered sacks were turned over to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).
She noted they have recovered a total of five sacks of suspected human skeleton in the last three days.
According to PCG District Southern Tagalog Commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, the divers initially encountered one sack yesterday morning and went back into the water in the afternoon, alongside other concerned agencies for retrieval.
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“They conduct the search slowly and if they touch (something) unusual at the bottom, they immediately mark it so that when the SOCO, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and National Bureau of Investigation arrive, we will be able to pick it up carefully from the bottom so that they can witness the recovery as there are technical consideration in the recovery of items in the bottom,” Tuvillo said.
“We cannot just pick up the item without the presence of SOCO so we have a system,” he added.
Tuvillo added that the dive was more difficult yesterday compared to Friday because of zero visibility at Taal Lake.
“Aside from the zero visibility, there is also an underwater current in the area. The Taal Lake is a very challenging area to conduct a diving operation,” Tuvillo said.
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Taal unrest
Despite the threat of a potential eruption, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Taal Volcano’s current level of unrest would not affect the ongoing search and retrieval operations for the missing sabungeros in the area.
Currently, the agency prohibits any activity at the Taal Volcano Island that is considered the permanent danger zone, according to Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol.
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“The lake is outside the permanent danger zone so the search operations have no effect on the volcano’s activity,” he said over radio dzBB on Friday.
He added a potential “minor phreatic eruption” or a steam-driven one would not affect the search operations.
In case such an eruption happens, it would depend on how high the ash would reach and the direction that it would scatter, he explained.
Bacolcol noted the last phreatic eruption on June 16 reached 350 meters, which was only within the Taal Volcano Island.
Based on Phivolcs’ Taal Volcano observation report last July 12, six volcanic earthquakes were recorded, including two volcanic tremors, as well as a 1,500-meter tall plume.
The agency placed the volcano under Alert Level 1 or “low-level unrest,” whereby entry to Taal Volcano Island and flying of aircraft over it is prohibited.
Bacolcol noted that Phivolcs continues to monitor the rise in seismic energy from the volcano, signified by more frequent tremors, since July 6. — Bella Cariaso, Ghio Ong
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