Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday authorities failed to locate Atong Ang during ten operations conducted last week.
Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Remulla said raids were carried out based on new intelligence but Ang was not found at the sites visited by the law enforcement teams.
“Naka-sampong raids kami last week, negative lahat ng sites na pinuntahan namin. Pero, tuloy-tuloy ito. Mahahanap at mahahanap namin iyan,” Remulla said.
(We conducted ten raids last week, all the sites we went to were negative. But, this is ongoing. We will find him.)
Despite earlier reports that Ang may have left the Philippines, Remulla said authorities still believe that the businessman is still in the country.
The Cambodian government earlier denied reports that Ang was in their country.
Arrest warrants have been issued against Ang and others, stemming from multiple counts of kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the missing sabungeros case.
Philippine authorities earlier requested the issuance of an Interpol red notice against Ang.
As defined by the Interpol, a red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.
Ang has denied the allegations against him.
His lawyer, Atty. Gabriel Villareal, previously described the Laguna court’s arrest warrant as “premature” and “legally questionable,” as it supposedly failed to meet the constitutional standards that should have been observed under the circumstances.
“Clearly, the court merely acted on the incomplete and one-sided information provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in its determination of probable cause, without having even seen the counter affidavits and exculpatory evidence of the respondents, including that of Mr. Ang,” Villareal said.
The reward for information leading to the arrest of Ang has been raised to P20 million. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
