MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday that businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto will be included in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation into the disappearance of cockfighting enthusiasts, or sabungeros.

Remulla made the announcement after a key witness, Julie Patidongan, alias “Totoy,” accused Ang of masterminding the abductions and linked Barretto to the case.

“They will be included. Because they were named, then we will have to include them as suspects,” Remulla told reporters.

“That will be evaluated by our group of fiscals, who will be assigned to evaluate all the evidence so that we will know what cases to be filed properly,” he added.

Ang, who has denied involvement in the case, filed a complaint Thursday morning before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office against Patidongan. He claimed that Patidongan and another former employee attempted to extort ₱300 million from him in exchange for not implicating him in the case.

Meanwhile, Remulla said authorities are still determining how to proceed with mapping the bed of Taal Lake, following Patidongan’s claim that the bodies of more than a hundred individuals, including the missing sabungeros, were dumped in the area. (PNA)