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Businessman Charlie "Atong" Ang, accompanied by his lawyer Lorna Kapunan, files criminal charges before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor's Office on Thursday, July 3, 2025 against Julie "Dondon" Patidongan and Alan Bantiles for accusations related to the case of "missing sabungeros."
The STAR / Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Chairman Felix Reyes denied accusations from self-proclaimed whistleblower Julie "Dondon" Patidongan that he helped fix cases in favor of gaming tycoon Atong Ang.
In a statement issued Wednesday, July 9, Reyes rejected what he called Patidongan’s “wild accusations,” including claims that a former judge and the current PCSO chair intervened in cases involving Ang.
Patidongan accused Ang of being the mastermind behind the disappearance of over 30 cockfighting aficionados or sabungeros.
“If Mr. Patidongan cannot substantiate his accusation of case-fixing, I ask him to shut up,” Reyes said.
To dispel allegations that he traveled abroad with prosecutors and judges allegedly involved in the case-fixing, Reyes authorized the Bureau of Immigration to release records of his foreign trips from the time he retired from the judiciary on Oct. 1, 2021, up to the present.
“I am ready and willing to cooperate in any investigation by any government agency to shed light on these baseless allegations by Mr. Patidongan and spare the judiciary and the prosecution service from the undeserved tarnishing of these institutions,” Reyes said.
In a July 4 radio interview with TrueFM, Patidongan, also known as alias “Totoy,” claimed that Ang’s confidence stemmed from his supposed influence over the justice system.
“‘Yun ang naglalakad ng mga kaso kaya gano’n kalakas loob si Mr. Atong Ang,” Patidongan said.
Reyes also noted the timing of the allegations, calling it a “rare coincidence” that they surfaced shortly after he applied for the position of Ombudsman.
He is among the 17 applicants for the post, as current Ombudsman Samuel Martires is set to retire on July 27.
Sources from the Judicial and Bar Council confirmed that Reyes has submitted his application for the position.
Philstar.com has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment but has yet to receive a response.
Patidongan's recent testimony implicated Ang and three others, while also alleging that a member of the judiciary is handling Ang’s cases.
In response, the Supreme Court said it received the information from Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla with “utmost seriousness” and vowed to conduct an “independent and thorough investigation” into the matter.
