Over 200 individuals, including family members and supporters of missing sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts, gathered at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Quezon City on Monday, July 28 coincided with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
RH Jecelle Ricafort reported that protesters, led by the Justice for Missing Sabungeros Network, are demanding justice and accountability for the cockfighting enthusiasts who have been missing since 2021.
At least 81 relatives and over 200 supporters took part in the peaceful protest, which began with a Mass for justice at Liwasang Diokno, followed by a symbolic action calling for legal action against those allegedly responsible for the disappearances — including gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang, whom families have consistently identified as the alleged mastermind.
Ang was accused by whistleblower Julie Patidongan, also known as “Totoy,” of being the primary suspect behind the killings and the alleged dumping of the victims’ remains in Taal Lake.
The families emphasized that most of the missing individuals were not cockfighting arena owners or operators, but merely caretakers. One of them was John Paul Ramos, whose family clarified that he was simply tasked with feeding the fighting cocks when he vanished.
“Ngayon po Pangulo BBM, ako po ay nananawagan apat na taon na po itong aking pinoproblema lahat po ng sabungero unang-una po ang aking anak…sana naman po mabigyan niyo na po ng kami ng tulong lahat po ng sabungero," emotional said Francisca Ramos, mother of one of the missing cockfigthing enthusuasts, John Paul Ramos.
"Kami po ay napakatagal po talagang humihingi ng tulong sana naman po kami ay inyong matulungan kami po ay napakatagal na talaga pong dinadalang paghihirap,” Ramos added.
The rally forms part of a broader movement against what organizers describe as government impunity, corruption, and negligence.
The protestors are set to march later in the afternoon from the CHR offices along Commonwealth Avenue to the Saint Peter Parish, the only designated protest zone for both pro- and anti-government demonstrators during SONA day.
The families of the missing cockfighting enthusiasts continue to press for concrete action, hoping the government will break the years-long silence surrounding the disappearances and bring those responsible to justice.
