Authorities are racing to track down gaming tycoon Charlie 'Atong' Ang, with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) not discounting the possibility he may have already left the country amid the ongoing probe into the missing sabungeros.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said a dedicated team has been deployed to locate Ang, but stopped short of revealing operational details.

“I dedicated a team—but I don’t want to preempt,” Matibag said in a recent television interview.

While some intelligence indicates Ang could still be in the Philippines, Matibag said investigators are keeping all possibilities open.

“We have information saying he’s still in the Philippines. But of course we are not removing the possibility of him going out of the country already,” he said.

The NBI chief pointed to the country’s porous borders, noting that the Philippines’ archipelagic geography makes it possible to slip out undetected, even through informal routes.

“You know, in the Philippines, there are many points of entry and exit. Even by boat, you can already get out,” he said.

Matibag cited past cases of high-profile fugitives evading authorities, including former Bamban mayor Alice Guo.

As the search continues, the NBI chief said they’re receiving a steady stream of public tips, though many tipsters appear more interested in the bounty than the breakthrough.

“We are receiving information, but what people often ask about is whether the P20 million reward is really true. Others are saying if it becomes P50 million, maybe he’ll be found,” Matibag said.

DILG: Ang still in Phl

In a separate television interview, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Ang was spotted in Calabarzon about two weeks ago, where pursuing authorities reportedly “missed him by a day.”

“He was spotted in Region 4A a little less than two weeks ago. We had follow-up operations, we missed him by a day,” Remulla said. 

“Apparently, he travels with a small group, like there are only three of them, and then he moves from house to house every,” he added.

Courts in Laguna and Batangas have issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against Ang in connection with kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges tied to the disappearance of 34 cockfight enthusiasts.

Authorities said 20 of Ang’s co-accused are already in police custody.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is offering a P20-million reward for information leading to his arrest.