Interpol Issues Red Notice for Philippine Gambling Tycoon Over Disappearance of 34 Men

Posted on: April 17, 2026, 05:29h. 

Last updated on: April 17, 2026, 05:29h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Interpol issues red notice as Atong Ang evades arrest
  • Dozens of sabungeros vanished amid allegations of match-fixing and murder
  • Searches in Taal Lake uncover remains but no confirmed identities

Interpol has issued a red notice for Philippine gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang, the prime suspect in the disappearances of 34 sabungeros – men closely associated with the country’s cockfighting industry.

Atong Ang, missing sabungeros, Taal Lake remains, e-sabong case, Philippines crime
Atong Ang faces mounting pressure as an Interpol red notice intensifies the manhunt. He is accused of links to the disappearance of 34 men tied to the cockfighting industry. (Image: rmn)

Ang is currently a fugitive from justice after Philippine courts issued multiple non-bailable warrants against him in January. Charges include kidnapping with homicide and serious illegal detention.

All of the missing men vanished from Manila and nearby provinces between 2021 and 2022, and they were all gamefowl handlers, aides, helpers, or drivers involved in the e-sabong industry, which streams cockfights online for gambling. Investigators allege the victims were involved in rigging matches, sabotaging one bird to benefit betting syndicates.

Ang runs the e-sabong company Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc. His former security chief Julie “Dondon” Patogan who was arrested in connection with the disappearances told investigators the sabongeros were killed on Ang’s orders to set an example and prevent match-fixing, which threatens profits.

On the Lam

Ang has denied these allegations. Despite recent reports that he may have fled to Cambodia, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said this week he was probably still in the country.

Authorities say he was last seen in the Calabarzon region around two weeks ago. He has reportedly been moving locations every few days to evade capture, with investigators saying they “missed him by a day.”

Patogan has claimed there were more than 100 victims whose bodies were dumped in Lake Taal, a deep, wide volcanic lake in the Province of Batangas. Searches of the lake have uncovered human skeletal remains, but there is no definitive proof yet that they belong to any of the missing sabungeros.

Cockfighting is a cultural norm in the Philippines, going back hundreds of years. The bouts involve birds fighting to death with hooked razors attached to their talons. They are often injected with steroids to increase their fighting potential.

E-sabong exploded in popularity during the pandemic at a time when many live venues were closed to spectators for health and safety reasons. This prompted the government to tax and regulate the market, but the sport was banned amid public outrage about the missing men.

Checkered Past

Ang was already controversial figure in the Philippines prior to the disappearances. In the 1990s, he was closely associated with then-president Joseph Estrada, who was later impeached for corruption and the misuse of public funds.

At the time, Ang was linked to jueteng, a widely played but illegal grassroots numbers game. Despite this, Estrada appointed him as a consultant to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), ostensibly to help curb illegal gambling. Critics argued that the appointment allowed him to expand his influence within the industry.

In October 2000, Estrada was accused of receiving more than ₱400 million (around US$7 million) in jueteng-related payoffs and other illicit funds. Ang was identified as the alleged intermediary responsible for collecting and delivering the protection money.

He was later charged alongside Estrada and fled the country, but he was arrested in 2001 while gambling at Paris Las Vegas. He was subsequently extradited to the Philippines, where he served a prison sentence.