'Sabungeros' case: Atong Ang files criminal raps, says 'Totoy' tried to extort P300M
MANILA, Philippines — Gaming tycoon Atong Ang filed several criminal complaints against self-proclaimed whistleblower Julie Patidongan and his former employee Alan Batiles, also known as Brown, before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, July 3.
Ang was accompanied by his lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, during the filing. The complaints stem from what Ang described as extortion attempts and threats to falsely implicate him in the high-profile case of missing cockfight enthusiasts, or "sabungeros."
Ang filed the following charges under the Revised Penal Code:
- Conspiracy to commit attempted robbery with violence or intimidation of persons
- Grave threats
- Grave coercion
- Grave slander
- Incriminating innocent persons
At a press conference, Ang called on Patidongan to stop lying. “Mag-isip ka, Don, wag ka na magsinungaling nang magsinungaling. Tinuring kitang parang anak ko eh, ’di ko alam na ganyan ka kasama. Papatayin mo pa ako, kikidnapin mo pa ako,” he said.
(Think, Don, stop lying. I treated you like my own child, I didn't know you were that evil. You would even kill me, you would even kidnap me.)
“Ganun lang kasimple, kailangan ko lang proteksyunan ang sarili ko tsaka ang grupo namin, kawawa naman masyado,” he added.
(It's that simple; I just need to protect myself and our group. We're too vulnerable.)
Alleged extortion attempt over P300M
Ang claimed Patidongan and Batiles made "calculated and persistent efforts" to unlawfully obtain P300 million from him between February and June 2025. Despite having no legal, moral or contractual basis for the demand — and with Patidongan no longer connected to him — the pair allegedly continued to make escalating threats.
The businessman said the act constitutes conspiracy to commit robbery, even though the attempted taking was not consummated. He argued that their repeated monetary demands and threats showed clear criminal intent.
Ang alleged that Patidongan and Batiles threatened to falsely link him to the disappearance and alleged murder of the missing sabungeros if he did not meet their demands. In his complaint-affidavit, Ang claimed that Patidongan made the threat during a phone conversation on June 20, 2025.
“The wrong threatened was no less than the false implication of my involvement in kidnapping and murder, both capital crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code,” Ang wrote.
“To be accused, even falsely, of such crimes not only threatens my liberty and safety but also subjects me to irreversible reputational damage,” he added.
Ang also accused Patidongan of grave coercion, saying he was compelled against his will to pay through a series of phone calls. According to the tycoon, the coercion intensified when Patidongan followed through on the threat by submitting a sworn statement implicating him in the case.
Public insinuations in TV interview
Ang further filed charges of grave slander and incriminating innocent persons, citing a June 17 televised interview on GMA-7 where Patidongan — using the alias “Totoy” — made public insinuations about unnamed “masterminds” behind the disappearances. Ang argued that these statements clearly pointed to him.
He added that Patidongan reinforced public speculation by mentioning a “female celebrity” on June 26. This was widely interpreted to refer to actress Gretchen Barretto, who has been publicly associated with Ang.
In a GMA News report aired Wednesday, July 2, Patidongan alleged that Ang and three other individuals including actress Gretchen Barretto were masterminds behind the disappearance of the sabungeros. Patidongan also accused Barretto of involvement, claiming she and Ang were often together.
Ang strongly denied the allegations, calling them “entirely false, baseless, and malicious.”
Kapunan, his lawyer, said Patidongan allegedly demanded P300 million from Ang in exchange for recanting his testimony.
Ang has requested that authorities investigate the extortion attempt and prosecute those involved in spreading what he calls dangerous and damaging lies.
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