The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday said charges related to the disappearance of several sabungeros have yet to be formally filed in court, as prosecutors complete remaining procedural requirements.
DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said the informations have not yet been submitted to the courts, clarifying the status of the long-running investigation that has drawn public attention.
“Upon checking, the informations have not yet been filed,” Martinez said.
Martinez explained that once the cases are filed, the courts will assume jurisdiction, starting with the docketing of the cases and the issuance of the appropriate orders.
“Once filed, the court will then docket the case and issue the corresponding warrants of arrest, along with notice of hearing for the setting of arraignment and pre-trial,” he added.
The DOJ has earlier said it found sufficient basis to pursue charges against businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang and others in connection with the missing sabungeros, whose disappearances over the past years have been linked to allegations of abduction and murder tied to illegal cockfighting operations.
Authorities have yet to provide a timetable for the filing of the cases, as families of the missing victims continue to seek accountability and information on their fate.