A high-ranking police official has been stripped of his command and placed under restrictive custody following allegations that he served as a protector for an illegal online cockfighting (e-sabong) ring in the Visayas.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) identified the officer as Police Major Edgar Tonico Jr., the former provincial officer for Negros Island.
CIDG spokesperson Helen dela Cruz confirmed that Tonico has been transferred to the national headquarters to face an intensive probe.
“He was already relieved from his post. He was taken to the (CIDG) headquarters for investigation,” dela Cruz stated.
The investigation gained momentum after Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla linked Tonico to a raided facility in Barangay Concepcion, Talisay City. During the April 22 operation, authorities apprehended 30 individuals and confiscated various cockfighting equipment.
However, the scope of the investigation extends beyond gambling. Authorities believe the e-sabong hub is a small piece of a much larger criminal syndicate operating across the Negros Island Region.
On the same day as the Talisay raid, the CIDG launched twin operations in Bago City and Bacolod City, seizing approximately ₱800 million worth of illicit cigarettes and manufacturing machinery. Ten Chinese nationals were taken into custody during those raids.
Remulla further suggested that Tonico’s history with gambling operators may date back several years, citing alleged ties to business tycoon Atong Ang during the peak of licensed e-sabong.
“They were known cohorts during the peak of e-sabong days. The police major who is the protector and a certain Don Robert work for Atong Ang,” Remulla noted during a press briefing.
Despite these claims, Remulla cautioned that the investigation has not yet established a firm legal link between Ang and the current illegal activities in Negros.
“But to say that Atong Ang was involved here, I cannot say with great conclusiveness that he’s involved,” the Interior chief emphasized.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Randulf Tuaño echoed this sentiment, affirming that all alleged connections remain under active verification.
Beyond gambling and smuggling, investigators are also looking into whether this specific network has any information regarding the high-profile disappearances of several sabungeros reported in recent years.