Claims of police complicity in mystery of missing Filipino cock fighters

Suspect ‘Totoy’ also claims a popular female celebrity is among those who knew about the disappearance of 34 cock fighters in 2021-22

A chilling new claim that police officers and a female celebrity were involved in the disappearance of dozens of missing cockfighting workers in the Philippines has reignited a long-dormant case that once shocked the country and raised questions about a possible cover-up.

A suspect in the 2021-22 disappearances of 34 Filipino cock fighters has claimed that at least 30 people, including police officers, were involved in the case.

“My estimate is about 10 are civilians, maybe more, while about 20 are in service,” he told GMA News.

The man, identified in media reports only by the alias “Totoy”, also alleged that a popular female celebrity in the Philippines was part of the inner circle who knew about the disappearances, and was named in an affidavit that he was set to turn over to the authorities.

“She would be present during meetings, and would be key in this case as she has more knowledge [about the disappearances],” he said in an interview with GMA News on Thursday.

The mastermind behind the abductions, Totoy said, was a powerful and wealthy figure “who can influence even the Supreme Court”.

Totoy earlier claimed the bodies of more than 30 victims were thrown into Taal Lake, a volcanic lake and popular tourist attraction in Tagaytay just 65km south of Manila.

He has requested witness protection and offered to testify against others he claims were involved.

Totoy’s claims that police officers were involved in the disappearances have spurred the National Police Commission [Napolcom] into action, with the authority saying on Friday it would investigate the allegations.

“I am appealing to ‘Alyas Totoy’ to appear and submit his complaint affidavit with the Napolcom, so we can investigate and hear this case with absolute dispatch,” Napolcom vice-chair Rafael Vicente Calinisan said in a statement. “There needs to be swift justice, and we will not hesitate to dispense swift justice.”

The Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has described the development as a potential breakthrough, but warned that the credibility of the account must be thoroughly vetted.

“It is only now, after more than four years, that a suspect has stepped forward, reportedly willing to become a state witness. This testimony, pointing to the alleged disposal of the victims’ bodies in Taal Lake, could mark a critical turning point,” Beda Epres, CHR commissioner and spokesman, told This Week in Asia.

The Philippine navy and coastguard said that they were preparing to conduct search and retrieval operations, pending a formal request from the Department of Justice.

Meanwhile, Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed requesting help from Japan in searching for the cock fighters’ remains in Taal Lake.

The claims of police involvement highlighted “the need for transparency and accountability mechanisms within institutions tasked with upholding the law”, Epres added.

Between April 2021 and January 2022, at least 34 men linked to online cockfighting operations disappeared under mysterious circumstances in and around Manila.

One of the victims was confirmed kidnapped after a video depicted him in handcuffs and escorted by two other individuals in Laguna, some 80km south of Manila.

CCTV footage also caught a group of men storming another cockfighter’s house, later escorting him out of his home with a box reportedly filled with jewellery, watches and money that belonged to his family.

Officers said these abducted cock fighters – known as “sabungeros” in the Philippines – were believed to be fixers for online cockfighting matches.

Six security guards were later charged with kidnapping, including Totoy.

In an interview with GMA News on June 18, Totoy informed the missing cock fighters’ kin that their loved ones were already likely dead and that families would no longer be able to retrieve their bodies as they were buried in Taal Lake.

“How can we still find them alive when they’re all buried in Taal Lake? If we dig up their bones, we won’t be able to recognise them. It’s not just the missing cock fighters that are there. Other bodies are thrown in there, too, even drug lords,” he said.

The suspect estimated that nearly 100 cockfight workers – aside from the missing 34 – were killed.

He said these cock fighters would usually be rounded up, bound with plastic and taken to a van. The victims would then be “killed softly” by strangling them with a tie wire.

“I was wondering how they were able to kill them so quickly. I thought they had let them go, but they showed me a video on how they do it,” he said.

Cockfighting is a legal form of gambling in the Philippines. Online cockfighting skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic amid strict social distancing measures, where live cockfight matches were streamed and bet remotely.

Online cockfighting raked in a revenue of 7 billion Philippine pesos (US$124 million) in 2021 alone, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Yet in May 2022, then president Rodrigo Duterte ordered a halt to all operations related to online cockfighting following several disappearances.

The series of kidnappings was a mystery that rocked the country in 2022, and further earned controversy in 2024 after film festival organisers cancelled the screening of a documentary film on the case called Lost Sabungeros at the last minute, citing “security concerns”.

Epres said a primary challenge that hindered the CHR’s own investigation alongside law enforcement was the “absence of direct witnesses or credible leads” that could identify those responsible or offer clues on the victims’ whereabouts.

“No individual came forward at the time who could shed light on the actual events surrounding the disappearances,” Epres said.

With Totoy now having come forward, Epres said the CHR would conduct its own investigation into the possible involvement of police personnel in the disappearances.

He promised a thorough investigation of possible suspects, regardless of their position or affiliation, saying this would be a step towards “building public trust” in the country’s law enforcement agencies.

“CHR takes all allegations of human rights violations seriously, including those that suggest possible involvement of members of law enforcement,” Epres said.

“As in any allegation, this remains subject to due process and impartial investigation. If [it is] established that police officers are indeed involved, we will be filing appropriate charges against them.”

Remulla said he believed in Totoy’s credibility, with videos and photos to back up his testimony.

“This is an organised crime and it’s not easy to prove. It’s something that should be pursued from every angle,” he said, adding that investigations showed the hitmen were allegedly paid 500,000 pesos for each kill.

Epres noted that Totoy’s decision to speak up three years after the case “underscores systemic issues in witness protection, fear of retaliation, and possibly deeper institutional gaps that must be addressed to prevent similar delays in future investigations”.

The commission was “committed to supporting the victims’ families, who continue to demand justice and accountability”, Epres said.

He urged government agencies to take collective and coordinated action.

“We hope this renewed momentum will finally lead to conclusive investigations, accountability for perpetrators, and closure for the families who have waited far too long,” he said.