MANILA, Philippines — Suspicions of internal interference have sparked a high-level police investigation into one of the country’s most notorious unresolved disappearance mysteries. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered a thorough investigation into alleged “secret meetings” conducted between the relatives of missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts) and detained, dismissed police officers implicated in the case.
The command-wide probe follows the sudden administrative relief of two active police officers accused of using their institutional positions to facilitate unauthorized sit-downs inside Camp Crame.
The immediate catalyst for the internal probe was a formal administrative complaint lodged before the National Police Commission (Napolcom) by five relatives of the victims. In compliance with standard operating procedures to preserve the integrity of the investigation, the PNP immediately stripped two officers of their commands on Wednesday, May 20:
[ INSTITUTIONAL RELIEF TRACKS ]
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[ THE HPG ESCORT LINE ] [ THE CUSTODIAL PERMIT ]
• **Lt. Nadame Malang**, the high-profile spokesperson for • **Maj. Reynaldo Pañebe Jr.**, the acting officer-in-charge
the Highway Patrol Group (HPG), was placed on floating status. and warden of the PNP Custodial Center.
• Accused of personally guiding the complainants past secure • Reprimanded for allowing unauthorized visitors direct physical
hq lines into the restricted Camp Crame perimeter. access to detained personnel under police custody.
While HPG and Headquarters Support Service (HSS) directors clarified that the reliefs are administrative rather than an immediate declaration of guilt, investigators are actively hunting for closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the Communications and Electronics Service to map out exactly who entered the maximum-security jail block.
The secret meetings are uniquely dangerous because they appear to be part of a coordinated corporate effort to systematically dismantle the state’s criminal case, which covers the disappearance and presumed death of at least 34 individuals between 2021 and 2022.
[Target Complainants Contacted] ──► Encouraged to Meet Detained Cops inside Crame │ ▼ (The Financial Influx)[PHP 20,000 to PHP 40,000 Monthly]◄── Paid by Representatives of Wanted Tycoon Atong Ang
According to Napolcom Vice Chairperson Rafael Vicente Calinisan, the victim’s families revealed they were directly approached by legal representation acting on behalf of fugitive gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang—who remains wanted on separate kidnapping and killing charges linked to the case. The complainants alleged they were given monthly cash disbursements ranging from ₱20,000 to ₱40,000, disguised as “transportation allowances,” which successfully pressured several original family members to completely withdraw their formal criminal testimonies.
The revelation that active law enforcement personnel may have acted as conduits for a fugitive’s legal defense network triggered a sharp rebuke from the top of the PNP chain of command.
“Any action outside of what the PNP should do is not only a betrayal of our mandate but also of the trust and confidence of the people we serve. Let us always allow our moral compass to lead the way towards the integrity and professionalism of our organization… While I respect meetings between the parties involved, police intervention in cases already before the courts is a serious matter that warrants investigation.” — Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., PNP Chief
The PNP Internal Affairs Service is currently running a parallel track alongside Napolcom’s Inspection, Monitoring, and Investigation Service to uncover whether additional, higher-ranking police handlers helped coordinate the unauthorized jail visits. Nartatez has publicly appealed to any individuals with direct knowledge of the backroom deals to cooperate with the state, promising that the administration will enforce absolute accountability without favoritism to ensure the long-delayed judicial process is not derailed from within.