Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida on Tuesday acknowledged that fugitive businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang could possibly be hiding in Cambodia, where he has reportedly maintained an online sabong operation, but authorities still believe he remains in the Philippines.
Vida said that while anything is possible given Ang’s sufficient resources, there is no formal record showing that he has left the country.
“If you’re talking about the realm of possibility, everything is possible, di ba? If you have resources you can do that, di ba? And if you have that desire to do it, you can do it, with the resources,” Vida told reporters in an ambush interview.
However, he emphasized that official immigration data does not support the claim that Ang fled abroad.
“Those are the formal channels. Sa formal channels wala talaga, pero on some intel, yes, there are indications that he is still around,” Vida added.
Ang is facing multiple arrest warrants for kidnapping with homicide, kidnapping, and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of more than 100 sabungeros, or cockfighting enthusiasts, whose cases shocked the nation.
Vida said law enforcement agencies remain actively searching for the businessman but declined to give a timetable for his arrest.
“Patuloy pong gumaganap ang inyong mga law enforcement agencies, patuloy po nating hinahanap (Our law enforcement agencies continue to perform their duties, and we are continuously searching for him),” he said.
“Malapit, malayo (Whether it’s soon or still far off), I cannot predict),” he added.
In a text message to the DAILY TRIBUNE, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla echoed the DOJ’s assessment, saying authorities are confident Ang has not left Philippine territory.
“We are confident he is still here,” Remulla said.
Remulla clarified that reports placing Ang in Cambodia came from Julie Patindongan, a key witness in the missing sabungeros case.
Cambodian authorities, however, denied the claim.
In a statement, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said there is no immigration record of Ang entering or exiting the country.
“According to an official report from the Immigration General Department of the Ministry of the Interior of Cambodia, there is no record of Charlie Tiu Hay Ang’s entry or exit at any Cambodian border checkpoints,” the ministry said, adding that the clarification was meant “to dispel recent media reports suggesting that Charlie Tiu Hay Ang may be hiding in Cambodia, while a team of Philippine police officers had been dispatched to search for him.”
Despite the denial, Remulla said the government is exhausting all leads.
“All elements of the PNP are actively searching for him. Justice will be had for the 100-plus missing sabungeros,” he said.
Authorities have also intensified operations against Ang’s network, conducting nearly 20 raids on his known associates over the past month.
“We have conducted close to 20 raids of his known cohorts in the last 30 or so days. We will find him soon,” Remulla said.
The manhunt continues, according to Remulla, acknowledging families of the missing sabungeros await long-sought answers and accountability.