Criminal charges were filed on Friday by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against businessman Charlie "Atong" Ang in connection with the cases of the missing sabungeros.

DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Martinez confirmed on Monday that informations for kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping and serious illegal detention were filed on Friday, December 22, 2025. The cases are now pending before three regional trial courts: the RTC of Lipa City, the RTC of Sta. Cruz, Laguna, and the RTC of San Pablo City, Laguna.

Martinez said the issuance of warrants of arrest now rests with the courts.

“Under the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, the courts wherein the informations are filed will issue the corresponding warrants of arrest upon their determination of the existence of probable cause based on the evidence submitted and the resolution by the panel of prosecutors,” he said in a statement.

Martinez added that there is no update yet on whether the courts have made a determination on probable cause.

He also said the cases are covered by Department Circular No. 015, series of 2024, which requires that any motion for reconsideration be resolved within 30 days.

Ang has repeatedly denied any involvement in the disappearance of the sabungeros, whose cases have been under investigation for more than two years. The DOJ earlier said the charges stemmed from evidence gathered during the reinvestigation of the high-profile disappearances linked to illegal cockfighting operations.

More than 30 cockfighting enthusiasts went missing in various parts of Luzon between 2021 and 2022. Authorities have alleged that the victims were dumped into Taal Lake in Batangas, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard to conduct technical diving operations in the area to recover possible remains.