JANUARY 22, 2026 — The hunt for Charlie “Atong” Ang just got hotter. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla dropped a bombshell, saying there’s “raw information” that the controversial businessman may be hiding out in Cambodia — where he reportedly set up online sabong operations. 

“May information na nasa Cambodia. But that’s raw information … Kasi nag-set up siya ng online sabong sa Cambodia,” Remulla told Dobol B TV. 

(There is information that he is in Cambodia. But that’s raw information … Because he set up online cockfighting in Cambodia.)

Authorities are already moving to cancel his passport to block any escape route. And if the Cambodia lead proves true, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could personally request Ang’s arrest from Cambodian leadership — just like he did with Arnie Teves in Timor-Leste.

Ang is the last accused still at large in the chilling case that rocked the nation — the missing sabungeros. Arrest warrants for kidnapping with homicide and serious illegal detention have been issued. A P10 million bounty has sparked eight operations, but Ang remains a ghost. His gun licenses have been revoked, five of his six firearms surrendered, and an Interpol red notice has been requested to alert law enforcement worldwide.

Ang denies everything. His lawyer, Atty. Gabriel Villareal, slammed the Laguna court’s arrest warrant as “premature” and “legally questionable,” claiming the DOJ pushed incomplete and one-sided information. 

“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.

So what does this mean for ordinary Filipinos? Families of the missing sabungeros are still waiting for answers. Every new headline about Ang’s whereabouts reopens wounds and raises doubts about whether justice can truly catch up with the powerful. 

Will ASEAN solidarity be enough to bring him back if he’s really in Cambodia? Or will this turn into another drawn-out saga that leaves the public frustrated and disillusioned?

The chase for Atong Ang is more than a manhunt — it’s a test of whether our institutions can deliver justice when it matters most. And right now, the public is watching closely, asking: How long can a fugitive sabong king outrun the law? Will the missing sabungeros ever get closure, or will their story remain another unsolved scar in our history?

(Photo courtesy of X)