The legal counsel of businessman Atong Ang criticized the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) resolution clearing the way for charges against him over the missing sabungeros case, calling it “deeply flawed and grossly unfair to the accused.”
Defense counsel Atty. Gabriel L. Villareal said a motion for reconsideration will likely be filed to seek a reversal of the DOJ panel’s findings, which found prima facie evidence to indict Ang and several others on 10 counts of kidnapping with homicide and 16 counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention.
“The ruling, while likely given the bias apparent from DOJ conduct, suffers from clear factual gaps and substantial inconsistencies. Clearly the panel relied heavily on the flawed testimony of a lone witness whose integrity is irreversibly compromised,” the defense said.
“It is unfortunate that the DOJ has been taken for a ride by a dubious witness masquerading as a crusader, out to pin the blame on my client to save his hide,” Villareal added.
He questioned why the Patidongan brothers were not charged “despite clear evidence of their participation in the alleged abduction and disappearance of certain cockfighting enthusiasts.”
Villareal argued that the DOJ panel should have ordered the PNP-CIDG to reinvestigate the case.
“Ordering a police reinvestigation is not only proper but mandated given the serious questions surrounding the legality and fairness of how this case has been handled,” he said.
The defense maintained that they will prove all claims by Patidongan are false.
“We are confident that we will debunk all malicious and fabricated claims made by Patidongan at the opportune time. He is the architect of this gruesome crime, no other,” Villareal said.