Philippine authorities believe fugitive businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang may be hiding in Cambodia as investigators continue searching for him in connection with the disappearance of 36 cockfighting enthusiasts between 2021 and 2022. However, the allegation remains unconfirmed, and Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously denied that Ang is hiding in the Kingdom.
Philippine Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said authorities believed Ang was somewhere in Southeast Asia or potentially the Pacific Islands. Ang is wanted under an arrest warrant on kidnapping and homicide charges linked to the disappearances, which became known as the “Luzon sabungero disappearances.” He has denied the allegations.
Key Facts
Person sought: Charlie “Atong” Ang, a Philippine fugitive.
Reported possible location: Cambodia, according to Philippine authorities’ suspicions.
Case: Disappearance of 36 cockfighting enthusiasts between 2021 and 2022.
Legal status: Wanted following the issuance of an arrest warrant on kidnapping and homicide charges, according to the source report.
Philippine official quoted: Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla.
Cambodian position: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously denied that Ang is hiding in Cambodia.
Important distinction: The reported location is an allegation under investigation, not a confirmed finding.
Philippine Authorities Suspect Ang May Be in Cambodia
Remulla said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday that authorities believed Ang had left the Philippines and could be in Cambodia.
“We are confident that he is in that area, Cambodia,” Remulla said, according to the report.
However, the Philippine official also indicated that investigators were considering other possible locations, including elsewhere in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
The statements reflect the Philippine authorities’ current suspicions, but the report provides no independently verified evidence establishing Ang’s whereabouts in Cambodia.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously denied that Ang was hiding in the country, underscoring the need to distinguish the Philippine investigation’s allegations from confirmed information.
Investigation Linked to 36 Missing Cockfighting Enthusiasts
Ang is wanted in connection with the disappearance of at least 36 cockfighting enthusiasts between 2021 and 2022.
The case, widely referred to as the “Luzon sabungero disappearances,” concerns people who went missing during that period. According to the source report, a former security aide accused Ang of involvement in the disappearances last year.
Ang has denied the allegations.
An arrest warrant was issued on kidnapping and homicide charges related to the case, according to the report. The allegations and charges should not be treated as proof of guilt; their merits must be determined through the applicable legal process.
The source report does not provide further details about the individual cases, the evidence cited in the warrant or the current procedural status of the proceedings.
Philippine Official Raises Claim About Cryptocurrency Wealth
Remulla also claimed that Ang had approximately $3 billion in cryptocurrency, suggesting that such resources could potentially be used to pay people for assistance.
The official qualified his remarks by saying authorities were not alleging that Ang was paying people off in Cambodia.
“We are investigating,” Remulla said, according to the report.
The figure of $3 billion is a claim attributed to the Philippine official. The source does not provide financial records, independent verification of the amount or evidence establishing how any cryptocurrency assets might be held or used.
The claim therefore remains unverified based on the information available in the report.
Ang’s Earlier Public Profile
Ang first attracted national attention in the Philippines in 2000 when he became a co-accused in the impeachment trial of then-President Joseph Estrada, according to the source report.
His name has since re-emerged in connection with the missing cockfighting enthusiasts and the subsequent investigation.
The current search for Ang has drawn attention to the possibility that he may have left the Philippines. However, the source report does not establish his present location or confirm that he has entered Cambodia.
Angkor Times Analysis
The case highlights the importance of separating official suspicions from verified facts when reporting on an international fugitive investigation.
Philippine authorities have publicly identified Cambodia as a possible location for Ang, but Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously denied that he is hiding in the country. The available report does not resolve this discrepancy or provide independent confirmation of his whereabouts.
The allegation concerning $3 billion in cryptocurrency also requires careful attribution. Without independently verified financial evidence, the figure should be understood as a statement made by a Philippine official rather than an established assessment of Ang’s assets.
For Cambodia, the immediate issue is whether investigators can establish credible evidence of Ang’s location and whether any formal law-enforcement cooperation or request involving Cambodian authorities follows. The source report does not confirm a formal extradition request, an arrest in Cambodia or any official Cambodian finding that Ang is present in the country.
Further developments should therefore be assessed against confirmed statements from relevant authorities and verifiable legal records. Until such evidence emerges, it would be premature to conclude that Ang is in Cambodia or that anyone in the country has assisted him.