THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is now considering businessman and gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang as the number 1 most wanted person in the country amid his alleged involvement in the disappearances of sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts).
In a press conference on Thursday, January 15, 2026, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the placing of a P10 million bounty for Ang’s arrest, which will be sourced from the DILG Intelligence Fund.
“Kasama po si Atong Ang sa—siguro maituturing natin na—number one most wanted sa buong Pilipinas ngayon. He is accused of killing maybe over 100 missing sabungeros,” he said.
(Atong Ang is included among—what we can probably consider as—the number one most wanted in the entire Philippines at present. He is accused of killing maybe over 100 missing sabungeros.)
While Ang is known to be a wealthy man, Remulla expressed confidence that the P10 million reward is enough to give him a hard time hiding from authorities.
“At the peak of e-sabong, kumikita sila ng P1 billion a day, at nanaig iyan ng mga tatlong taon. So kung mai-imagine ninyo kung ganoon kalaki ang kita niya, kung anong klaseng resources ang mayroon siya para magtago, gumamit ng puwersa, kumuha ng mga bodyguard, at maghanap ng mga taguan. Pero ‘yung P1 billion a day na iyan ay may hangganan lang. It is hard to fight the Philippine government,” he said.
(At the peak of e-sabong, they were earning P1 billion a day, and that went on for about three years. So if you imagine income that large, you can also imagine what kind of resources he has to hide, use force, hire bodyguards, and secure hideouts. But that P1 billion a day has its limits. It is hard to fight the Philippine government.)
“Iyan (reward) ay sapat na para sa akin na mahihirapan siya nang husto na bilhin ang kanyang kalayaan,” he added.
(That reward is sufficient for me to believe that it will make it extremely difficult for him to buy his freedom.)
Remulla said Ang is considered “armed and dangerous” despite the revocation of his license to own and possess firearms.
“Kahit sabihin na na-cancel ang kaniyang firearms, si Atong Ang po ay bumibiyahe na hindi kukulangin sa 20 ang bodyguard lagi. Sanay po iyan sa marahas na pagharap sa mga otoridad at sa marahas na paraan ng pagsolusyon sa kanyang mga problema. So we consider him armed and dangerous,” he said.
(Even if it is said that his firearms have been canceled, Atong Ang always travels with no fewer than 20 bodyguards. He is accustomed to confronting authorities violently and to using violent means to solve his problems. So we consider him armed and dangerous.)
“Ibig sabihin, gagawin ng pulis ang lahat para protektahan ang sarili nila laban sa kakayahan ni Atong Ang. Lahat ng paraan na kailangan gawin para mahuli siya ay gagawin namin. Pero may garantiya po kami na walang EJK. Wala pong extrajudicial killing na plano ang PNP,” he added.
(That means the police will do everything necessary to protect themselves against the capabilities of Atong Ang. We will take all necessary measures to arrest him. However, we assure the public that there will be no EJK. The PNP has no plan for any extrajudicial killing.)
Remulla urged Ang to voluntarily surrender to authorities.
A Laguna court issued Tuesday, January 13, an arrest warrant against Ang and 17 others, including 10 policemen, a dismissed cop, and seven civilians, over cases of kidnapping with homicide in relation to the disappearances of 34 sabungeros from 2021 to 2022.
The officers and civilians include former security personnel and employees of cockfighting arenas linked to Ang.
Of those ordered arrested by the court, only Ang remains at large.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has already requested the International Criminal Police Organization to issue a red notice against Ang, although he is still believed to be in the country. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)