Torre: 15 cops tagged in sabungeros’ case under ‘restrictive custody’
Updated @ 4:08 p.m., July 7, 2025
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has confirmed that it has placed 15 of its members, who are reportedly involved in the case of the missing sabungeros (cockfighting aficionados), under restrictive custody in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“We have placed the several police personnel under restrictive custody pending the investigation into the missing sabungeros. That we can confirm. And we have partnered with the National Police Commission for the in-depth investigation of this case,” PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said in a press briefing on Monday when asked about the recent revelation of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
“Many of them are in support units. Some of them are in regions. Some in APC (area police command). They are from different units,” he revealed, adding that among them was a lieutenant colonel.
Asked if they were in Camp Crame, Torre said, “Yes, they are.”
According to Torre, 11 of the 15 were active, one already retired, while three were dismissed even before news about their involvement in the case surfaced. He also said that more cops might be linked to the case as the investigation deepens.
“We will leave no stones unturned. Even though the number of personnel involved increased, the most important thing here is first to provide justice to the victims and second to cleanse the PNP organization of such personnel,” Torre stressed
He disclosed that when he was still the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), alias “Totoy,” the whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan started communicating with the police.
“Well, Totoy has been giving us statements for a long time. We actually took his statement months before, but of course, we had to put it under wraps to ensure that our moves wouldn’t be preempted. We got voluminous evidence because we got that information a little under the radar,” the PNP top cop narrated.
“Well, I was very shocked when I learned that Totoy knew. That’s why it firmed our resolve to solve this because what happened in this case is really gruesome and not acceptable by any standards,” he added.
Torre also confirmed that Patidongan was under PNP’s protection but declined to disclose the details of how Patidongan approached the CIDG.
Last week, Remulla revealed that the 15 members of the PNP are under investigation after being linked to the case and were placed on “restricted duty and are required to report to designated offices so they can no longer participate in operations.”
Last month, Patidongan—one of the six security guards accused of abducting the cockfighting enthusiasts—claimed that the 34 missing sabungeros were reportedly buried in Taal Lake, Batangas. He further alleged that they used a tie wire to strangle the victims before dumping their bodies into the lake.
According to reports, the cockfighting aficionados disappeared in 2021. /apl/abc
