Marcos orders swift justice for missing sabungeros — Palace

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered police and other law enforcement agencies to strictly enforce the law and move swiftly to arrest those involved in the disappearance of dozens of cockfighting enthusiasts, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President wants the prompt delivery of justice for the victims, stressing that authorities already know their mandate.

“That has always been the mandate of the PNP and our law enforcement agencies. They know that,” Castro said in Filipino during a Palace press briefing on Wednesday. 

“The President’s order is clear: enforce what is in the law,” she added.

Castro emphasized that once warrants of arrest are issued, authorities must act without delay.

“If there are already warrants of arrest, work must be faster so those who should be held accountable will be made to answer,” she added.

The directive comes after the Sta. Cruz, Laguna Regional Trial Court issued warrants of arrest against individuals charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of several sabungeros.

Authorities said 34 sabungeros went missing between 2021 and 2022, with investigators linking the abductions to alleged match-fixing or cheating in cockfighting events.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against several suspects, including police officers, in various courts last December.

One of the accused has reportedly implicated high-profile personalities in the abductions and killings, claiming that the victims’ remains were dumped in Taal Lake, further intensifying calls for swift justice in the long-running case.

Malacañang said the administration remains committed to ensuring accountability and justice for the victims and their families.