Remulla: Family of missing sabungero declined P20-M offer to settle

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said the family of a missing sabungero received a P20-million offer to withdraw their complaint, but turned it down.

“Kagaya ng sinabi ng Lasco family kanina, inalok sila ng pera. Hindi nila tinanggap kasi hindi kaya ng kanilang kalooban na gastusin ang pera dahil wala na ‘yung kapatid nila,” Remulla said in a media briefing.

(Like what the Lasco family said earlier, they were offered money. They didn’t accept it because they could not handle the feeling of spending the money they would have obtained from their brother’s absence.)

When asked how much was offered, Remulla answered, “P20 million.”

The Justice Secretary likened the offer to “blood money.”

“Ang world tradition dito, di ba, sa ibang bansa ang tawag diyan blood money Doon tayo tumitingin sa ngayon… sa pagtanggap ng pabuya para tumigil na ang hidwaan laban sa ganitong mga pangyayari,” Remulla said.

(The world tradition here is, right, in other countries, this is called blood money. We are looking at this angle… on the acceptance of such money to stop the conflict in such cases.)

Three former police officers are facing kidnapping, serious illegal detention, and robbery with violence charges in connection with the alleged kidnapping of e-sabong master agent Ricardo Lasco.

Police Patrolman  Rigel Brosas and Police Staff Sergeant Daryl Paghangaan surrendered to the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) Team 4-A on January 19.

Former Police Corporal Roy Navarete, meanwhile, voluntarily surrendered at the Calauan Municipal Police Station in Laguna on January 21.

Affidavits of desistance

Meanwhile, Remulla said one of the families executed an affidavit of desistance or a statement from a complainant expressing their desire to withdraw their complaint.

“Makikita mo ‘yung strategy nung lawyers, nung accused sa case number one was they need to have the only standing case with the standing warrant of arrest dismissed by settling [with] the families,” he said.

(You can see the strategy of the lawyers, the accused in case number one, was they need to have the only standing case with the standing warrant of arrest dismissed by settling with the families.)

“And one of the family members was here earlier, noncommittal, but to tell us that they had settled already. At may mga affidavits tayo on record about them withdrawing the cases,” he added.

In February, warrants of arrest were issued against Julie Patidongan or Dondon, Mark Carlo Zabala, Roberto Matillano Jr., Johnry Consolacio, Virgilio Bayog, and Gleer Codilla or Gler Cudilla kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

This was over the disappearance of John Claude Inonog, James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, and Rowel Gomez who went missing in January 2022.

“Only one case has been filed against this group. And this is where there was an attempt to settle all the cases so that their aim of having the cases dismissed against Patidongan and company,” he said.

Jaja Pilarta, the partner of Inonog, said she was not informed that Inonog’s parents had withdrawn their complaint.

“Hindi ko lang alam na nakapag file ng ganoong ano dito sa DOJ. Hindi ko alam,” Pilarta said in a separate interview.

(I didn’t know they filed something like that here in the DOJ. I didn’t know.)

According to Remulla, Pilarta has the personality to continue the case.

“She has personality to continue the case as the partner, partner in life… Common law partner ang tawag diyan. Common law spouse,” he said.

When asked if the interest of the families are necessary to continue the case, Remulla said the state can “theoretically” continue the case even with the desistance of families.

“But in our regime of law, we give importance or a lot of importance on the loved ones as the private offended parties,” Remulla said.

“When the families as private offended, which we give very very heavy bearing to, are the ones who asked for the case to be dismissed, under our legal tradition we allow it to happen,” he added.

Families disappointed

Meanwhile, other families expressed their dismay over the settlement.

“Sobrang nalulungkot po kami kasi sila lang po yung may matibay na ebidensya,” Marilyn Germar, the mother of Glenn Arzen, said.

(We’re very sad because they have strong evidence.)

“Pinagtataka po namin bakit sila umatras? Sila pa ho yung talagang kinausap kami isa-isa na walang aatras, talagang laban kung laban,” she added.

(We were confused why they decided to take it back. Because they were the one who was telling us to keep fighting.)

This was echoed by Maria Cristina Ignacio, the wife of Velasco.

“Malaking tanong yun sa amin kung bakit. Kasi from the start sila yung nagsimula nung laban eh. Sa kanila nagsimula yung laban nung pag-ere ng missing sabungero na to,” she said.

Velacio said she has yet to talk to the family of Inonog.

Meanwhile, Ryan Bautista, the brother of Michael Bautista, slammed the family for supposedly exchanging their resolve for money.

“Yung paninindigan nila, inano nila ng pera. Dahil lang ba sa pera, sisirain mo paninindigan mo at yung pamilya mong nawawala dahil sa pera ipagpapalit mo? Ganoon na lang ba ang halaga ng pamilya mo?” he said.

(Their resolve, they [exchanged] it for money. Because of money, they would destroy their resolve and their family who is missing, because of money, you would exchange them. Is that only the value of your family?)—LDF, GMA Integrated News