Remulla stands by claim, insists Atong Ang ‘has left the country’

Atong Ang in Mandaluyong RTC on July 3, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla is standing by his claim that fugitive businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang is no longer in the Philippines.

“He has left the country,” Remulla said on Wednesday.

His assertion comes after Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said earlier in the day that Ang is still in the Philippines, based on records of the Bureau of Immigration.

Remulla has previously said that Ang used a “backdoor” route to leave the country. The fugitive businessman is believed to be somewhere in Southeast Asia or the Pacific region.

Ang is the alleged mastermind in the disappearance of dozens of cockfighting enthusiasts, or sabungeros.

He has been in hiding since a court issued a warrant for his arrest over multiple criminal complaints related to the case.