MANILA, Philippines — National Police Commission (Napolcom) Chief Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan publicly identified businessman and fugitive Charlie "Atong" Ang as the alleged “sabong boss” who attempted to interfere in the investigation of officers linked to the disappearance of several sabungeros.
Calinisan previously revealed in July 2025 that two groups had tried to meddle in the Napolcom probe into 12 active Philippine National Police (PNP) officers. One group was led by a “sabong boss,” while the other was connected to a local government executive.
At that time, the Commission rejected all attempts at intervention, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to prevent cover-ups and ensure all leads were pursued.
In a statement, Calinisan confirmed that the “sabong boss” he referred to was Ang.
He said Ang allegedly reached out through a person personally close to him, an act that Calinisan described as a serious attempt to unduly influence the investigation.
“To be honest, I felt insulted when they tried to fix this with me. Even if Atong Ang’s camp has a lot of money, they cannot buy us. Atong Ang himself made that call to someone very close to me. The question is, why does he need to expose ‘his policemen’ to me? That call says a lot. I have my own mind; they cannot manipulate me. They cannot buy me. Justice is not for sale,” Calinisan said.
He emphasized that he was disclosing the information “in the spirit of transparency,” noting that the timing was appropriate because the Napolcom’s case against the implicated police officers had already concluded.
According to Calinisan, Ang made the call to the close associate on July 12, 2025, shortly after Alyas Totoy expressed his intention to file a complaint against the errant policemen, which he formally lodged with Napolcom on July 14, 2025. Despite Ang’s intervention, Napolcom’s Inspection Monitoring and Investigation Service (IMIS) filed the formal charges against the respondent officers on July 29, 2025.
The Commission recently announced the dismissal from the police service of 11 officers and recommended that the involved police general also be dismissed. Calinisan stressed that accountability was enforced through evidence-based, due-process-driven proceedings.
“To be clear, Napolcom, as the Police of the Police, will pursue and prosecute any officer who abuses their power. No one is above the law, and the trust of the people is what we protect,” he said.
Ang is currently facing multiple serious criminal cases tied to the missing sabungeros investigation, a high‑profile series of disappearances of cockfighting enthusiasts.