5 cops tagged in disappearance of e-sabong agent charged

Five members of the Philippine National Police in Laguna were charged on Monday by relatives of an e-sabong agent over his disappearance in San Pablo City last year.

PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said Daryl Paghangaan, Roy Navarete, Henry Sasaluya, Michael Claveria, Regil Brosas and several John Does face charges for kidnapping/serious illegal detention and robbery for the alleged abduction of Ricardo Lasco.

Four relatives of Lasco filed the complaint before the Department of Justice assisted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the special task group created to focus on the missing sabungeros.

Fajardo said the complainants were Princess Montañez, Gilda Montañez, Elain Montañez and Honey Lyn Sason.

The complainants attended in March the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee’s third hearing on the disappearances of around 34 e-sabong enthusiasts.

Princes, Lasco’s wife, said her husband was supposed to return to Metro Manila for his real estate work on August 30, 2021, but while he was there, a group of unidentified men barged into their home and introduced themselves as National Bureau of Investigation officers.

She said the “NBI agents” were wearing black clothes and presented a warrant of arrest for Lasco’s alleged involvement in a large-scale estafa. However, they refused to furnish them a copy of the said warrant.

Apart from kidnapping Lasco, Princess said the group also took their jewelry, money, cellphones, and a vault containing money.—LDF, GMA News