There’s no obstacle to the filing of criminal charges against gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang even with a pending motion for reconsideration (MR) filed by his legal team, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.

Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez explained that an MR does not halt court proceedings. 

Ang’s lawyer, Gabriel Villareal, filed the motion last Friday.

Martinez said that while the National Prosecution Service reviews the MR, prosecutors may still finalize the criminal information and move forward with the indictment. The MR and the court filing can happen at the same time — one doesn’t stop the other.

Government prosecutors recently found prima facie evidence against Ang and 21 other individuals for multiple counts of kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping with serious illegal detention. 

The charges allege that Ang had command responsibility for the abduction of cockfight enthusiasts who were allegedly targeted for cheating.

The DoJ plans to file the charges across several regional trial courts, with a push to eventually transfer the trial to Manila.

For his part, Villareal described the DoJ’s resolution as “deeply flawed” and “grossly unfair,” arguing that it relied almost entirely on the testimony of whistleblower Julie Patidongan. 

He has asked that the investigation be returned to the PNP-CIDG, claiming that Patidongan and his family were the real perpetrators of the crimes.