BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The four Negrenses tagged in the disappearance of six sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts have no previous criminal records, a background check conducted by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) showed.
They also have no history of returning to the province recently, although the possibility of their presence here is not being ruled out, said Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO spokesperson.
A background check on one of the suspects, Roberto Matillano Jr., showed he was born in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. His last address was Barangay Punta Taytay, Bacolod City.
However when police visited Matillano’s previous home, they found out that he had not returned to Bacolod for two years now.
Catalogo said they were digging deeper into the backgrounds of the other three – Mark Carlo Zabala, Johnry Consolacion and Virgilio Bayog.
On Feb. 17, the Philippine National Police released the pictures of six wanted persons suspected in the disappearance of six sabungeros in January of last year.
Aside from the four Negrenses, also wanted were Julie “Dondon” Patidongan and Gleer “Gler Cudilla” Codilla.
Each suspect has a bounty of P1 million for any information on their whereabouts that may lead to their arrest.
The six were accused of abducting sabungeros John Claude Inonog, James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, and Rowel Gomez.
The Department of Justice said prosecutors found probable cause to charge the accused with six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code./PN
