Gretchen Barretto Finally Comes Forward. Mastermind and Accomplice in the Case of the Missing Cockfighters Revealed, According to Gathered Information.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla revealed that several suspects involved in the disappearance of cockfighters are also linked to the bloody war on drugs under former President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte.

Julie, London, and Dunen showed tattoos that allegedly symbolize their group’s involvement in the mysterious disappearances of cockfighters since 2021.

Meanwhile, a sack containing skeletal remains was discovered during a retrieval operation for the missing cockfighters at Taal Lake, in the area of Laurel, Batangas. It was found in the location allegedly pinpointed by someone known only as alias “Tutoy”—a place where the cockfighters were supposedly taken. The bones are now undergoing examination to confirm whether they are human or not.

Previously, Gretchen Barretto had also claimed that Senator Bato dela Rosa was significantly involved in the case of the missing cockfighters.

We are now trying to contact Donon. He claims that there are people monitoring the screen of the online cockfighting games, and whenever someone is suspected of cheating—known in sabungero slang as “ope” or “chope”—they report it to him. He, in turn, reports it to Mr. Charlie “Atong” Ang.

For the record, we also contacted Mr. Ang’s lawyer, Atty. Lorna Kapunan, to request an interview and hear Mr. Ang’s side. Attorney Kapunan responded that they are leaving the investigation entirely to the DOJ and will not participate in any media interviews, calling it a “trial by publicity.”

Back to Donondon Camo.

Let’s go. So someone watches the online sabong screen and reports to you if anyone is caught cheating. Then you call Mr. Ang. What’s your conversation like?

Donondon: Just like that—once I report to Mr. Ang, he tells me, “Okay, call Beto as well,” and Beto is the name of a police team leader. I then call Beto, and his people arrive to pick up the alleged cheaters.

Okay. So who exactly is this Beto? Yesterday in your interview, you mentioned a colonel, a major, and a captain. Is Beto one of them?

Yes, Beto is a colonel. An active officer in the PNP (Philippine National Police).

Where is this Colonel Beto stationed? In what specific arena?

He used to be on duty in CRAM (possibly a codename or local station). So he’s not stationed at a cockpit, but he’s a police officer on active duty.

How does this work then? How are these suspects identified and abducted? Who’s responsible for the actual abductions?

Well, there’s a group—they’re numerous. It includes both police and civilians. When I call them, they immediately go to the arena. Then the suspected cheaters are handed over to them.

And after you report to Beto, Beto calls you back to confirm the pickup of the alleged cheaters?

Yes, sir. That’s correct.

Can you tell us a specific instance of this happening? What group was involved, and which arena?

Usually it’s in Santa Cruz or Lipa, or sometimes in the Manila Arena. For example, take the case of Johnon John Lasco. He’s part of case number five. They’re from Santa Maria, Bulacan, and were last seen on May 11, 2021, at the Philippine Arena in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

Can you tell us more about that, if you remember—maybe it’s in your affidavit?

What happened?

As I said, sir, Rick de Rosa was the one monitoring the screen. He was watching the matches. When he saw something suspicious, he immediately reported it to me. Then I informed Mr. Atong Ang.

And just like that, I talked to the group and placed the suspects in a room.

Go ahead. What happened next?

After that, the group of police and civilians would come and pick them up.

At that time, where were you, Donondon?

Sometimes I was just at home. My house is located within Mr. Atong Ang’s farm in Lipa. When I received the call, I would go straight to Santa Cruz. I would talk to the group and take them to a part of Mr. Ang’s house—near the kitchen—where I would hold them while waiting for the police.

Okay. So you were at the farm in Lipa. After the cockfighters were picked up, you would call Mr. Ang for clearance?

Clearance for what?

To report that I had secured the cheaters. Mr. Atong would respond, “Okay, call Beto so you can coordinate.” Then I’d call Beto, and his team would go to the farm.

Where were the abducted cockfighters taken? For example, those from the Santa Cruz, Laguna arena?

They were taken to Talisay, Batangas.

Talisay? What was there—a safe house? A rest house?

It was actually a fish farm owned by a police officer. That’s where they were brought.

Were you present when these cockfighters were taken?

No, sir. I only handed them over at the farm.

How did you know they were taken to Taal in Batangas?

They’d talk to me. Sometimes they’d joke, “Why are you calling so quickly? What if Mr. Ang gets mad?” One time, one of the police officers even showed me a video of how they slaughtered them—that’s how I learned what really happened.

Okay. In all the cases involving the abduction of cockfighters from various arenas, were you ever personally present when any of them were killed?

No, sir. I wasn’t.

But there’s CCTV evidence and someone who had the courage to film one of the abductions. That video includes individuals who were with Mr. Atong Ang yesterday when Rogelio Buican filed a complaint—the man in red and the one in a red cap, Rodilo Anigig. The two of them were seen on camera carrying off a missing cockfighter.

Now, about that USB video—specifically related to Lasco’s case—what does it show?

Yes, that video. It shows a police officer recording the killing of cockfighters. And there’s more. All of the videos were forwarded to my phone. Before Mr. Atong Ang had me smuggled out of the country, he had all my cellphones burned and bought me a new one. He assigned one of his drivers to keep an eye on me.

I managed to hide the phone with all the evidence. But when they saw it in my pocket—they burned that one too.

Yes. So right now, you don’t have any other videos except the one in the USB you’re holding, which you said has a duplicate?
Yes, sir. That’s correct.

Alright. Let’s go back for a moment—you mentioned someone is assigned to identify cheaters, another to abduct them, and then they’re brought to a fishpond owned by a police officer. What is the rank of this police officer?
Just an ordinary officer. I’m not sure of his exact rank.

Okay. And you said you were never physically present during the actual killings. Is that correct?
Yes, sir.

So in the video you watched and obtained before, and I apologize to our listeners for this graphic question, how were the cockfighters killed? What was the method used, and who exactly carried it out?
They would be handcuffed. In the video I saw, the victims were cuffed, then a wire was tied around their necks. They were slowly strangled until their tongues came out and they stopped moving. Then, the people there—those working at the fishpond, owned by a police officer—they would cut open the bodies, remove the internal organs to drain the blood, and then place the bodies on wooden planks. They’d tie them with tie wire and sandbags to weigh them down before throwing them.

Go ahead. Continue.
Then they’d place them in a boat and dump them into the middle of Taal Lake.

This method of killing you described—the ones doing the killing, the boat ride, the disposal in the lake—was that shown in a video you actually saw or only something you were told about?
I saw it myself. Someone once sent it to me via Viber. I really watched it. I even showed it to Mr. Atong Ang.

In the videos you saw, were you able to identify the people committing the gruesome crimes?
Those who were civilians from the fishpond—I didn’t recognize them. But the police officers? I knew them very well.

So the ones physically committing the acts on the video—you don’t recognize their faces, but you do recognize the police?
Yes, sir.

So in the video, you identified the police officers because you were there during the time the victims were turned over to them?
Yes, sir. That’s why I knew they were the ones.

And you’re saying you saw the videos of the lake disposal, but you didn’t personally witness the dumping of bodies?
Yes, sir.

So you can’t specify the exact location in Taal Lake where the bodies were dumped, correct? Since the lake is 234.2 square kilometers in area.
Yes, sir. That’s correct.

But the CIDG is now working to identify individuals who might know where the bodies were dumped?
Yes, they are.

In the videos that were sent to you, you mentioned Mr. Atong Ang also watched them?
Yes, sir. I showed them to him.

Did you keep records of the dates, when you showed the videos, and which of the 34 missing cockfighters were involved?
What I kept was the voucher—after the killings, I would ask Mr. Atong for money. There was one voucher I didn’t return to the office. That’s what I still have. It has signatures, including the name of a team leader. These team leaders are paid high—after Jun Lasco went missing, that team leader’s monthly pay became two million pesos.

You said that when a suspected cheater was identified and abducted, you’d call Mr. Ang. What would your conversation be like? Was there any specific instruction from him that would clearly implicate him in the killings?
Yes. He would tell me, “Okay, call Beto now.” Then, the money used to pay the abducting police officers came directly from him, sometimes even through his children, as I mentioned in my affidavit.

Did you really talk about it openly? Was it truly part of your company’s operations, that cheating sabungeros would be killed?
Yes, sir. In fact, when many cheaters were caught, they held a meeting, and Mr. Atong said, “If we don’t do something about this, our business will collapse and our income will decrease.” There were people in the group who disagreed, but the majority agreed—so they went ahead with it. Mr. Ang said, “If we don’t do this, the business will fail.” All the Alpha group members were there listening.

You mentioned the ‘Alpha’—what do you mean by that?
They’re the members of the top-ranking group. Their chairman is Mr. Atong Ang.

About that voucher you’re holding—what exactly is written on it? Is it a special kind of voucher? A disbursement form? Does it list names, amounts, job descriptions?
Yes, sir. For example, it says “Intel – amount ₱xxx,000.” The office already knows what “intel” means—it means a killing took place. Even his children know that. If it says “intel,” it’s understood to mean an execution happened.

So who signed this voucher? Who was authorized?
I was the one who picked it up and signed it. I didn’t return it—that’s why I still have it. It lists names and the monthly pay of certain people.

Who are named on the voucher?
The team leader’s name is on it. I received it from the office. There’s one name that belongs to someone close to him—his driver—and I can identify him.

“Just a moment—there was a glitch in the line. Regarding this voucher—are these regular vouchers issued weekly, monthly, or per execution?”
“Per execution. For example, if there are two killings in a week, those show up on the voucher. But others, I didn’t return because the office collects them.”

“So on this voucher you’re holding—can you give us a sample? Who signed it, how much, and what date?”
“The signer is someone called [Name Redacted], and the driver of the police officer also signed it monthly. Once I even held onto a voucher worth ₱2 million—the monthly payment for that team leader. It has the leader’s full name and the driver’s signature.”

“You mention that police officers didn’t sign to acknowledge receipt of money. But this voucher had a police driver’s signature?”
“Correct. The voucher is issued to the officer, but he won’t sign. However, the driver signed it—he’s also a police officer.”

“How much was that voucher?”
“₱2 million—that was his monthly amount.”

“Thanks for clarifying. Many are listening and are interested in your credibility as a witness. Can we tidy the line before returning to you?”
“Yes, sir.”

(Pause – line fixed)

“In those calls you made to Mr. Ang to seek clearance for abducted sabungeros, was it just between the two of you on the phone?”
“Yes, sir. Just us.”

“Do you recall any dates or times? Did you record them?”
“No, sir. They burned all my phones. Even my wife’s and child’s tablets were taken. I can’t recall exact dates or times.”

“Did Mr. Ang threaten you or your family?”
“He did. He warned that the more I knew, I was in danger. He’d say, ‘If we don’t do this, our business will suffer.’”

“When did you suspect they might kill you or your family?”
“Back when my warrant came out—January 2022. I went into hiding on my farm in Lipa. Then a kernel came to visit me in December 2023—it was an official visit with a handwritten note. That’s when I really felt unsafe.”

“Why didn’t you go to government authorities right away?”
“At that time, I was being manipulated. I needed direct evidence from Mr. Ang himself. I recorded him saying things on speaker phone. He said, ‘I haven’t killed anyone yet—who are you talking about? Dondon?’ That’s when I started preparing.”

“When did you approach Secretary Remulia?”
“I can’t remember exactly—around February this year, during the elections.”

“Why do you have so many security personnel?” That’s when I started to think—why was he asking to reduce my security? It meant his hitmen were having a hard time getting to me. He said, “Boss, reduce your security detail. You’re ruining your image in your town.” That made me think even more. He was starting to control even my movements.

Are you admitting that you received campaign donations from Mr. Atong Ang?
No, I am not. I even texted him, saying, “Boss, I’ll just treat all your help to me as a loan. I’ll pay it back with my salary.” He’s saying he gave me ₱12 million to help me in my mayoral campaign in my town. That’s a lie. Sometimes, he’d drop ₱1 million, but that included my salary. Those were just his random “help” or operational expenses, but that so-called ₱12 million is nonsense. People already know Mr. Atong is a liar. The Philippines became chaotic because of him—he even wanted to have Tabit killed.

Let’s set that aside and focus on the current issue—your testimony, which is very important to this case. When was the last time you received a salary from Pitmaster, Mr. Ang’s company?
That was the time I texted him. After that, I stopped receiving salary because I already considered it a loan.
When was this?
I can’t remember the exact date, sir, but I still have the text—I can send it to you.
So this all happened while you were campaigning to be mayor?
Yes, sir.
You said you treated his help as a loan. How much did you borrow from him?
The things he promised me… I was just playing along with him. If I cut ties with him suddenly, he would suspect my plans.

So at this point, what was your last transaction with Pitmaster?
None anymore. My only transaction with Pitmaster was through my security agency—just the guards.

What role does Alan Bantiles Elias Brown play in Pitmaster?
He’s just a friend. A close friend of ours.
Whose friend? Yours and whose?
Mine and Mr. Atong’s. He’s also my son’s godfather, but he’s not a Pitmaster employee. He just gambles in cockfights. He’s also a businessman.

Where is Elias Brown now?
As far as I know, he’s still here in the Philippines.

Can he help support your testimony?
Let me think about it, but I believe he knows everything too.

Mr. Ang mentioned in his complaint that Elias Brown was the one who called him back in February this year, supposedly in connection with the extortion issue. What is your relationship with him now?
As I said, he’s my godfather.
But this extortion story Mr. Ang is using to destroy you—what do you say to that?
It’s too late for him. He wants to reverse everything I’ve said. They even gave me a recantation letter meant for Atty. Carol to get me to retract my statements—but I didn’t sign it. Now, they’ve raised it to ₱500 million. Sir, I can’t accept that. I can’t sell my conscience and my family—that’s why I’m so angry at Mr. Atong.

Now, you’re facing a case filed yesterday. Your testimony is crucial, and many are placing their hopes in what you can contribute. Aside from yourself, is there anyone else who can back up your story?
Yes, sir, there should be. The four people still with him—they know the truth. But now he’s trying to flip the story because he’s bribing them. He made their entire families live inside the farm, and then used them in an interview on one channel, claiming I was the mastermind—saying I’m rich and calling me crazy. Isn’t that backwards? I used to be Mr. Atong’s lapdog, and now he’s accusing me.

He’s accusing you of kidnapping him?
Yes! I mean, who is Dondon Patidungan compared to Mr. Atong Ang? It’s probably me who should be filing kidnapping and extortion charges against him—not the other way around.

That’s why I keep emphasizing the importance of your testimony in this case.

So you’re saying that if the four witnesses are on Mr. Ang’s side, you know, your lawyer and the government would probably agree—it’s hard to fight in court if it’s just your word, especially when the other side asks you, “Were you present when the crime happened?” and you have to say no, you weren’t there and have no personal knowledge.

So as of now, do you have anyone—anyone who can help you prove your story to make it stronger in court?
Yes, now I do. And to be honest, there are also people that he’s trying to silence right now—that’s why the CIDG is helping me connect everything, including the people who took the victims to Taal Lake.

The USB video you mentioned earlier—who recorded it?
The group of police officers. They had to record it because they were asking for a huge amount of money. Initially, they asked for ₱2 million, then they asked for another ₱2 million because they said there were many of them involved. In exchange for the USB, I paid the ₱2 million and got the USB. I showed it to Mr. Atong Ang, Eric de la Rosa, Engineer Salazar, and Gretchen Barretto. They watched it. Then after they watched it, Mr. Atong told me, “Go ahead, burn that.”
But I didn’t—I hid it.

Did you tell him it was burned?
Yes, I told him, “It’s done, boss. I burned it.”

Now, you mentioned several names, including Miss Gretchen Barretto. Were you really there? Did you personally see her watching the video?
Yes, sir. I was with them at the time. My house was right next to the farm where she lived. Gretchen Barretto is always with Mr. Atong. They even sleep side by side.

Now, about your statements—how can you claim that Miss Barretto was involved in the crime? We need to be clear about this so people can understand what evidence you actually have that connects her to the crime.
Sir, like I told the other interviewers, Gretchen Barretto is part of the Alpha group. Like I said before the crime happened, they would hold meetings in an office in Laki 8. I was there. That’s where Mr. Atong said, “If we don’t do this, the business will collapse.”
She was one of the people who agreed to go through with it.

You were present when you say Miss Barretto agreed to that?
Yes, sir. I was there. Everyone I mentioned in my affidavit was involved.

I’m just asking these things, Don, because many people are listening and you’ve said that your name and credibility are being attacked. In this very serious issue, your credibility matters a lot. In the end, this could come down to your word against theirs. If they deny everything, people will ask you for proof. What do you say to those who say it’s just your word?
Sir, I don’t think Mr. Atong would’ve included me in those meetings if he didn’t trust me. That’s all I can say.

Alright. So in your testimony and affidavit—when will that be released? And is there a corroborating statement? Is there hope for the families of the missing cockfighters that someone else can support your story?
Yes, sir. The CIDG is working on that now. Maybe we’ll be able to file everything by next week.

As of now, what security does the government provide you, if any?
Right now, I’m just really being careful. I keep changing my location because I know how dangerous Mr. Atong’s group is, and the police involved.

Do you already have a lawyer?
Yes, sir. I do.

Is there already a prosecutor assigned to you to review your testimony and affidavit?
Next week, sir.

I understand you can’t disclose your family’s location for safety reasons, but are you confident in their security?
Yes, sir. I’m confident. I don’t think they’ll be able to get to them.

Because, you know, this country has seen whistleblowers change their stories later on. What do you say to people who doubt your credibility? What’s your message?
Like I said—if I were crazy, if I didn’t care about my family or the families of those who were killed—I would’ve taken the ₱500,000 offer the first time it was made. But I didn’t. That’s why I’m standing by this.