He is wanted in relation to the case of the missing “sabungeros.”
On Friday, February 13, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced that the bounty for gambling mogul Atong Ang has been raised from the initial PHP10 million to PHP20 million.
The said amount will be given to the person that will be able to give information on the individual, who is currently facing an arrest warrant in connection with the case of the missing “sabungeros” or cockfighting bettors.
Remulla said that he is confident that the increased reward will encourage cooperation from those who may know the fugitive’s whereabouts.
“Kung pumatay ka ng isang-daang tao at may bilyon-bilyong pera kang nakatago, darating din ang araw mo,” he said.
He added that his arrest would also help hasten the due process for Ang, who is tagged as the principal suspect in the case.
The SILG explained that the money will be sourced from the intelligence fund of the Department and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
To strengthen the manhunt, the government also said that they will be utilizing drones with lidar sensors to conduct precise search and surveillance operations.
“We’re going to be deploying (the drones) in the next few months para sa mga intensive manhunt operations namin kay (Gregorio) Bantag, Atong Ang, at para sa paparating na indictment sa mga (akusado sa) floodgate scandal,” said Remulla.
Meanwhile, the DILG chief has also clarified that Ang is still hiding within the Philippines after the Cambodian government noted that there are no records of his entry nor exit in Cambodia.
