Probe of missing sabungeros sought

A RESOLUTION seeking a congressional probe into the alleged abduction and killings of cockfighting aficionados, locally called sabungeros, was filed at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante, Jr. filed House Resolution No. 53 to aid authorities in investigating the disappearance of more than 30 cockfighting enthusiasts between 2021 and 2023, while also aimed at crafting laws to address related killings and prevent similar incidents.

“The disappearance of the ‘missing sabungeros’ is no different from the extrajudicial killings in the fight against illegal drugs, a clear violation of human rights which is no longer just about gambling but about justice, accountability, the rule of law,” he said in the resolution.

The missing victims that went missing were accused of cheating in the blood sport widely popular in the Philippines, and their remains were reportedly dumped in the lake within the restive Taal Volcano.

The case regained national attention after a witness emerged and alleged that a gambling tycoon orchestrated the killings. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio