Cockpit arena guards deny having any knowledge on missing sabungeros

During Friday's Senate hearing on the missing cockfight enthusiasts, several cockpit arena guards denied having any knowledge on the disappearances.

At a hearing of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, its chairperson Senator Ronald dela Rosa said that only seven out of the 23 security personnel who were invited showed up to the panel.

Dela Rosa asked the security personnel or “roving in-house personnel” about what they knew about the missing sabungeros, or any information or observation that would help the probe.

Roquillo Anding, a Sta. Cruz, Laguna cockpit arena guard, said that he only learned of the disappearances on social media and the police.

“Nalaman ko sa social media...Mga ilang araw po may dumating po nga mga CIDG, nagtatanong po sa mga naka-assign sa gate,” he said.

“Wala po…Wala naman po kaming nakitang mga unusual. Ganoon din po yung ibang naka-assign nung time na yun na may nawawala po," Anding added.

(Nothing… I did not notice anything unusual, and neither did the other guards.)

Dela Rosa then asked Virgilio Bayog, a guard at the Manila Arena, about a witness who saw him gathering the belongings of the missing people.

Bayog said he did not know anything about it.

“Sorry po your honor hindi ko po alam yun… Nag-assume lang po ako sa kasamahan ko sa pang-araw yung duty ko 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.,” he said.

(Sorry your honor I don’t know that… I just took over from my co-worker in the morning shift from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m)

Rodelio Borican, a guard at the Batangas cockpit arena, was also asked if he noticed anything. He said they were concentrating on the parking area.

“Actually sa parking lang kami nagco-concentrate tapos marami pong entry kaya ina-assess po namin yung perimeters, hindi po sa loob,” Borican said.

(We were concentrating on the parking area. A lot of people had entered, that’s why we’re assessing the perimeters, not inside)

Mark Carlo Zabala, a Manila Arena guard, was also asked if they observed something considering they were patrolling the area.

“Wala naman pong nangyayari (Nothing was happening),” Zabala said.

Aside from them, guards Raffy Fuentes and Roberto Metillano were also asked about their tasks at the arenas.

During the hearing, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said a witness identified six suspects in the disappearance of cockfight enthusiasts at Sta. Ana's Manila Arena.

CIDG Director Police Brigadier General Eliseo Cruz said a witness implicated 14 persons in the disappearances.

“A vital witness gave his statement that he saw how the victims were held and loaded by the security personnel of Manila Arena in a gray van parked at the basement of the said arena,” he said.

The CIDG would file Dand serious illegal detention complaints against the six suspects.

During the first hearing on February 24, the father of one of the missing cockfight enthusiasts claimed that the security guards of the Manila cockfight arena were the ones who took his son.

Jhon Claude Inonog’s father said he was able to call his son before his disappearance around 7:45 p.m. on January 13.

He said Jhon Claude named three security guards who were allegedly putting him and other missing sabungeros in a vehicle. — DVM, GMA News