vipph Court asked to order rearrest of persons involved in missing sabungeros

Department of Justice facade. PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked the Manila Regional Trial Court to order the rearrest of six persons believed to be involved in the disappearance of six sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts).

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said they made the manifestation in a hearing on Tuesday.

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Sought to be rearrested were Julie Patidongan, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Roberto Matillano Jr., Gleer Cordilla, and Johnry Consolacion. They are facing cases for kidnapping and serious illegal detention following the disappearance of the six sabungeros in 2022.

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All the accused were allowed to post bail for their temporary liberty in 2023, but the grant of bail order was challenged before the Court of Appeals which reversed the Manila court’s ruling.

The Court of Appeals, in a December 2024 ruling, said the Manila court committed grave abuse of discretion when it allowed all the accused to post bail despite strong evidence of their involvement.

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“We emphasize that when the grant of bail is a matter of discretion, not a matter of right, the power must be exercised with great care and caution because of the risk and stakes involved, especially when the crime is a serious one,” the CA said in a ruling written by Associate Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr.

Data released by the BSP on Tuesday showed the public sector’s foreign borrowings from July to September this year went up by 36 percent from the $2.81 billion in the same period last year.

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The federal and state governments’ tax revenue reached a total of 86.2 billion euros ($93.54 billion) last month, according to the ministry’s monthly report.

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“Within the above statutory and jurisprudential parameters, the Court rules that grave abuse of discretion attended the respondent judge’s grant of the private respondents’ petition for bail. There is strong evidence of the private respondents’ guilt for the crime charged,” it added.

The missing sabungeros were identified as Mark Joseph Velasco, Marlon Baccay, James Baccay, Rowel Gomez, John Claude Inonog, and Rondel Cristorum.

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