Manila, Philippines — In a plot twist straight out of a crime drama, former actress and socialite Gretchen Barretto is now being dragged into the country’s most chilling unsolved mystery: the disappearance of multiple sabungeros (cockfighting bettors), including Ramon “Mon” Dela Cruz — and the internet is losing its mind.

Rumors are swirling that Barretto, long known for her glamorous lifestyle and controversial ties, may be romantically or financially connected to one of the indicted masterminds behind the vanishing of the sabungeros — and now, her name is officially being floated in ongoing investigations.

😳 CELEBRITY IN THE CROSSHAIRS?

While no formal charges have yet been filed against Gretchen Barretto, insiders from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirm that her name has been repeatedly mentioned in interrogations, particularly in connection to a certain “M”—a known financier of illegal online sabong operations.

“We are not ruling anyone out. No one is untouchable, regardless of their status,” said one NBI agent.

Barretto, who has maintained a lower public profile in recent years but is still widely followed for her high-society connections, is now at the center of a storm she may not escape from.

💸 FOLLOW THE MONEY — LUXURY, POWER, & ILLEGAL BETTING?

The missing sabungero cases, involving over 30 individuals, have long baffled the public. With no clear leads, missing CCTV footage, and millions of pesos in vanished money, authorities have suspected for years that powerful figures were shielding the real culprits.

Now, new evidence has reportedly emerged — including cryptic financial records, wire transfers, and even messages from a private number allegedly linked to Barretto’s inner circle.

“There are coded conversations and transaction logs. The pattern is emerging, and it’s pointing in her direction,” a source close to the investigation revealed.

🧨 INTERNET EXPLODES: “GRETCHEN? NO WAY!”

Filipinos were quick to react, with netizens divided between disbelief and suspicion:

“Gretchen has always had powerful friends. I’m not shocked.”

“Innocent until proven guilty — but if she’s involved, justice better be served.”

“She was quiet for too long. Now we know why?”

The hashtags #GretchenBarretto, #SabungeroCase, and #ExposeTheMasterminds quickly shot up the trending lists, sparking thousands of memes, TikTok deep-dives, and speculation videos.

⚠️ WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, THERE’S FIRE?

This isn’t the first time Gretchen has been tied to controversy. From her high-profile feuds to whispers of political influence, Barretto has been a magnet for scandal. But this might be her most serious brush with the law yet.

Sources also hint that at least one key witness is willing to name her outright if granted protection.

“She was seen with them. At private gatherings. At betting events. She knew more than she let on,” a witness reportedly told investigators.

🚨 IS AN ARREST IMMINENT?

While authorities are tight-lipped about next steps, there are growing calls for Barretto to publicly speak out. As of now, she has made no official statement, leaving fans and critics alike wondering — is silence a sign of guilt?

Atty. Fernando Lazo, a criminal law expert, weighed in:

“If her involvement is proven, it could mean charges ranging from obstruction of justice to conspiracy to commit kidnapping — all very serious.”

😱 THE FINAL CHAPTER?

As this explosive development unfolds, one thing is clear: the sabungero case is far from over. And if Gretchen Barretto is truly involved, this could mark one of the biggest celebrity crime scandals in Philippine history.

Will Gretchen finally break her silence? Is this all a smear campaign? Or is the elegant façade finally cracking wide open?

Stay tuned. The truth is getting louder — and someone is about to fall

Gretchen, ready to reveal the accusation that Bato is a debtor, a sabangero: ‘Time & place? Hurry pls!’
It seems that the battle between Gretchen Barretto and Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa is intensifying regarding the e-sabong business of Greta’s friend Atong Ang.

After inviting her friend Atong Ang to a Senate hearing regarding the recent disappearance of sabangeros, actress-socialite Gretchen Barretto could not help but react to Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s alleged grandstand.

Gretchen criticized the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Substances following his alleged creation of a scene in the Senate to gain the favor of the audience. La Greta also criticized the expensive watch that Bato allegedly wore during the senate hearing.

She then went on to criticize the senator, “How did Bato ever become a Senator? Look at his line of questioning. Those sitting there really need lawyers. People vote wisely! Don’t vote for Bato!”

Another thing Gretchen revealed was that Bato is also a sabungero.

“This Bato is just being a jerk. Bato, can we get your ass out? I know this is a balance for you, Kate, right?…The truth will come out, Bato, soon.”

Bato didn’t miss this and responded to the actress-socialite’s harsh statements.

“First of all, he said my watch was expensive. Why is he the only one who has the right to wear a watch worth 85,000? Why can’t I? It’s really expensive for me, but for them, I don’t know if it’s really expensive for them.”

Regarding Greta’s allegation that she is also a wrestler and also a wrestler, “Then they will say that I have a debt to… she said I have a balance? How can I have a balance? I have never gambled. I have never been a wrestler. Never in my life, not even once, have I bet on a wrestling match. That has never happened in my life.”

Regarding ‘grandstanding’, she says, “Never I have wanted to grandstand in any of my… anything that has to with my performance on the job. I never grandstand. I, I am very angry about the grandstanding of senators, grandstanding of congressmen. I don’t like that… so I don’t know if I did grandstand but, it was not, never in my intention to grandstand.” For Bato, Gretchen’s camp is doing ‘character assassination’ to him.

“You cannot attack a person through issues, you attack him through his character, so what they are doing is character assassination. They are doing character assassination to me, just to get back at me. Because they are still struggling to get through the issues they are in now.”

Meanwhile, in Gretchen’s latest Instagram post on March 29, she challenged Bato that she is ready to reveal her evidence against this, especially to the media. Just tell me where and when. The IG post included a screengrab of the news from SMNI.

“I am very willing to present evidence to you of my so called accusations Bato Dela Rosa. In front of media. Time & place? Hurry pls.,” Gretchen’s bold challenge.

Screengrab from IG/Gretchen Barretto
Meanwhile, Bato has not yet responded or made a statement regarding Gretchen’s challenge.

Atong previously denied his involvement in the disappearance of the 34 sabangeros.