Carmen Malaca’s son, Edgar, disappeared without a trace along with 33 other cockfight gamers (sabungeros) between April 2021 and January 2022. Like the other families still grieving, she is hopeful that recent developments will finally lead to justice for their loved ones. 

Speaking to CoverStory in Filipino, the mother described her son as “such a kind and helpful person.” She added: “He does not deserve what happened to him.” 

According to Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, two siblings of whistleblower Julie Patidongan aka Totoy have been arrested overseas and are expected to provide the “missing link” in the disappearances. The siblings, Jose and Elakim Patidongan, were brought back by authorities to the Philippines on July 22 from another Southeast Asian country that remains unnamed. 

Edgar Malaca went missing early in 2022 after supposedly attending a cockfight tournament in Batangas. His fate and that of the other missing sabungeros remained unknown despite a series of investigative hearings in the Senate in 2022. In June, Patidongan, one of the accused in the case, disclosed that the missing men are already dead and that their corpses were tied to sandbags and dumped in Taal Lake.

No surprise

This bombshell confession did not come as a surprise to Carmen Malaca, who said she had heard a similar claim in the past. “We’re relieved because the truth may at last come to light,” she said.

Per the account of Patidongan, a former aide of businessman and gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang, the missing sabungeros were abducted and killed because they had been caught cheating in cockfighting and other gambling operations. The whistleblower has linked his former boss to the disappearances, as well as several police officers.

Patidongan said more than a hundred people had been abducted and killed by police working covertly for an online cockfight operator because of their alleged involvement in match-fixing.

Carmen Malaca hopes for retribution against those behind the disappearance of her son and the other sabungeros. “I want them to face the same horrific end my son did… I never imagined his life would end like that,” she said.

Authorities continue to search the depths of Taal Lake for the remains of the sabungeros. Malaca said samples of her DNA and those of the relatives of the other missing men had been taken for possible matches with human bone fragments recovered from the lake.

President’s promise

In his State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised that those behind the disappearances would face the full force of the law, regardless of their wealth or power.

“We will pursue and hold accountable the masterminds and those involved, whether civilians or officials,” the President said. “No matter how powerful, influential, or wealthy they are, they will not be above the law. We will make the perpetrators feel the full weight of the punishment for these heinous crimes.”

On Tuesday, the National Police Commission announced that it had found probable cause to file administrative cases against 12 police officers for alleged involvement in the case. All the accused officers have denied the allegations.

An unidentified police commander has been relieved of his post due to “suspicious” actions in relation to the ongoing inquiry into the disappearances, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters also on Tuesday.

“He did something I didn’t like,” Remulla said. “Trust in this process is really important. Because if people don’t trust it fully, how can people feel confident enough to speak openly? That was the one thing I made sure to uphold.”

Remulla also said a new civilian witness who could boost Patidongan’s testimony had come forward. “This is not just testimonial evidence; there is also real, concrete evidence. Besides the story, there is actual evidence,” the justice secretary said.

Who else?

Ted Lazaro, spokesperson for the Justice for Missing Sabongeros Network, believes the whistleblower’s account that state agents were behind the disappearances.

“According to alias Totoy’s statement, it’s the police who are allegedly behind the abductions and killings. And we believe it, because who else could do something so cruel and get away with it, if not those in power?” Lazaro told CoverStory.

He added: “This isn’t just about the sabungeros. What we are fighting against also includes the enforced disappearances that often involve the state. One thing remains: the truth that 34 cockfighters have gone missing…. Whatever else happens, the truth is that 34 people were killed. Those 34 people had families. They had loved ones who need help and support. And above all, what they need is justice.”