MANILA — From the downfall of President Joseph Estrada to the Barretto family feud and now, the case of over 100 missing sabungeros, businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang is once again at the center of controversy.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla recently named Ang as a suspect in the 2021 sabungeros case, following allegations by former employee Julie “Dondon” Patidongan. Patidongan, who managed Ang’s farm operations, claimed Ang ordered the killing of the missing cockfighting bettors, whose bodies were allegedly dumped into Taal Lake.
Ang, however, denies the accusations, stating that Patidongan and another man, Alan “Brown” Bantiles, tried to extort ₱300 million from him to avoid implicating him in the case — an incident that contributed to the shutdown of e-sabong in 2022.
This is far from Ang’s first brush with controversy. He fled to the U.S. in 2001 on the day Estrada was ousted. As a former consultant for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Ang became a central figure in the corruption scandal that led to Estrada’s impeachment. He was eventually extradited, admitted to diverting ₱130 million in excise taxes, returned ₱25 million, and served probation after a plea bargain.
Ang later reemerged as a figure in the gaming world, working with Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation and being accused—though never convicted—of involvement in illegal gambling like jueteng. In 2017, he allegedly offered ₱200 million monthly to take over STL operations, which he said was at President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to clean up corruption and fund social services.
His name also made headlines during the high-profile Barretto family feud in 2019, where he was accused of having romantic ties with Gretchen and Nicole Barretto—claims he denied, citing business connections instead.
Ang further gained prominence in the online cockfighting scene during the pandemic through his company Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc., operator of Pitmasters Live. As e-sabong flourished, so did reports of missing bettors. The scandal prompted Duterte to shut down e-sabong in 2022.
Now, Ang is again under investigation. The Department of Justice is reviewing the evidence before deciding whether to file formal charges.