Multiple posts circulating online feature Atong Ang, now a subject of intense police manhunt over cases in connection with the disappearance of scores of cockfighting enthusiasts or sabungeros, supposedly offering to triple the P10-million bounty on his head for the masterminds in the flood control corruption scandal should he be able to prove them. This is false.
Social media pages, including Facebook and YouTube, have been sharing the posts in photo and video form since Jan. 18, with a text saying:
“10M lang ang patong ng ulo ko? Pero pag napatunayan ko ang mastermind sa flood control isyu TRIPLE o higit pa ang ipapatong ko sa ulo nila para sa mga pilipinong namatay at ninakawan nila! -Atong Ang
(My bounty is only P10 million? But once I prove the mastermind behind the flood control issue, I will TRIPLE [the bounty] or more on their heads for the Filipinos who died and were robbed by them! -Atong Ang).”
In the posts, the photos and videos of the 68-year-old gambling magnate appear to be speaking during a media interview.
The uploader then reacts to Ang’s supposed statement, appearing to believe it as fact:
“Parang masaya ito ah Buwaya vs Dragon! (This looks like fun! Crocodile vs Dragon!)”
“ATONG ANG, BINANTAAN ANG MGA MASTERMIND NG FLOOD CONTROL (Atong Ang threatens the masterminds of flood control).”
This is false. Atong Ang did not release such a statement.
The photo and the video of Ang used in the posts were taken from his press conference on July 3, 2025, when he filed counter charges against whistleblowers who accused him of involvement in the disappearance of dozens of sabungeros last seen in his cockfighting arena in Manila.
The Sta. Cruz, Laguna Regional Trial Court Branch 26, with Presiding Judge Mary Jean Cajandra Ong, issued a warrant for the arrest of Ang on Jan. 13. The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 13 of Lipa City followed with another arrest warrant two days later for multiple counts of kidnapping with homicide and serious illegal detention.
On Jan. 14, the gambling tycoon was declared a fugitive from justice and was the only one out of 22 suspects remaining at large as of Jan. 22.
Ang was reportedly last seen in one of his residences in Mandaluyong City, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, and has not made any public appearance nor released any statement since the issuance of the arrest orders.
No media outlet carried the attributed quote, and the business tycoon does not have any official social media page to verify the claim. The most recent news update on this case was that his camp had surrendered his firearms.
The spurious posts made by various Facebook and YouTube digital content creators have so far collectively garnered 942,600 views, 54,006 reactions and 5,993 comments, as well as 6,282 shares.
