A proposal for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to launch a “reward system” for informants that will lead investigators to the solution of cases of abduction victims, just like that of the 26 “sabungeros” whose mysterious disappearance is still being thoroughly investigated by a special investigation task group, has been offered, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

The program could be similar to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s Oplan: Private Eye, which gives reward money to individuals who offered tips that led in successful anti-narcotics operations including the dismantling of clandestine shabu laboratories, arrest of major drug traffickers and the seizure of huge amounts of prohibited drugs.

It could also be similar to the monetary reward being offered by the Department of National Defense and Department of the Interior and Local Government for any information that would result in the capture or neutralization of the country’s most wanted terrorists and other criminals, including those from the Abu Sayyaf, New People’s Army and the Maute Group.

Officials said the reward money would help them get vital information that would lead to vital clues in their investigation of victims of crimes in the country. “A revolving fund to finance the reward system would help us get accurate information from witnesses with their identities kept in utmost secrecy,” said one Journal Group source.

Right now, officials said reward money is usually being offered to witnesses only by local government units or moneyed families and friends and supporters of known victims of crime, including local government officials, politicians or businessmen.

“No such reward offer is being heard when the crime victims are ordinary people except when their cases go viral or are carried by the national media. This is the reason why we should consider coming up with a similar reward system for potential witnesses,” another source said.

The reward system for witnesses in crimes involving ordinary Pinoy folks was proposed amid the ongoing investigation into the mysterious disappearance of the “sabungeros.”

On Saturday, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director, Major General Albert Ignatius D. Ferro said they have received complaints from relatives of some of the missing cockfighting afficionados since last January 14.

The official said the first reported incident took place in the Manila Arena in Sta. Ana district last January 13.

Ferro said acting on instructions from PNP chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos, he has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) last January 24 to probe the cases of the “sabungeros” who disappeared under similar circumstances.

He designated CIDG Deputy Director for Operations, Colonel Anthony A. Aberin to head the SITG which is composed of officers from the CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU), Regional Field Unit 4-A and Regional Field Unit 3.

Ferro said SITG is consolidating the efforts of all investigating units to determine the location of the missing persons and to find out the persons responsible for the disappearance of the victims.

The official said they are working round-the-clock to solve these cases. “Let us use all our resources and assets on the ground to solve this case. It is our commitment and responsibility to the families of the missing persons. Let us give our investigators on the ground our full support,” the PNP-CIDG director told officers of the SITG.

SITG is also getting help from the National Capital Region Police Office and the Police Regional Offices 4-A and 3 in solving the mystery behind the mysterious disappearance of at least 20 “sabungeros” in Manila and Calabarzon and Central Luzon regions since last year.

On orders of Carlos, PNP-CIDG has intensified its probe into the cases and is determining if the incidents are all connected to each other, meaning they were the handiwork of the same group of men acting on orders of only one person or persons.

The incidents include that of 10 men who were last seen in separate cockfighting areas in Sta. Cruz, Laguna and in Manila last January 13.

Four of the victims went missing after joining a cockfight in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, according to a statement issued by Brigadier Gen. Roderick Augustus B. Alba, chief of the PNP Public Information Office.

CCTV footage from the arena showed that the vehicle used by the victims was seen exiting the coliseum but it was not clear if the victims were inside the vehicle, Alba said.

On the same day, six men went missing as well after participating in a cockfighting tournament at the Manila Arena in Sta. Ana district around 5:40 p.m. last January 13.

Relatives of 10 other men form Bulacan have also reported to the PNP-CIDG that the 10 have been missing for more than eight months now.

“The plot thickens when 20 men from Bulacan who were engaged in a cockfight are added to the list of missing individuals. Their kin said that it has been more than eight months now since their disappearance. The PNP also found out that they also went to the same cockfighting arena in Sta. Cruz, Laguna,” said Alba.

“The CIDG is now connecting the dots. These incidents do have a lot in common. We will find out if there is a syndicate behind these cases,” Carlos said.

PNP-CIDG has called on the management of the concerned cockfighting arena to fully cooperate with its ongoing investigation to identify the possible handlers or financiers of the missing men.

Ferro last week issued a subpoena to the administrator of the Manila Arena identified as Cesar Sulit and five of their security guards in connection with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the CIDG NCRFU headed by Colonel Randy Glenn F. Silvio.

The subpoena directed the six to cooperate with the ongoing probe into the mysterious disappearance of brothers Marlon and James Baccay, John Claude Inonog, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rondel Cristorum and Rowel Gomez on the night of January 13. All are residents of Tanay, Rizal.

Ferro issued the subpoena after the CIDG-NCRFU complained that the Manila Arena management is not fully cooperating with its ongoing investigation. The plot thickened after a dud grenade was hurled at the Manila Arena past 6 p.m. Thursday last week.

The Journal Group was earlier told that some “persons of interest” are being eyed by PNP investigators as they begin to connect the dots on the mystery behind the disappearance of the victims.

As of press time, police are looking into the possibility that the three separate cases of involuntary disappearance could be related to each other. The cockfight afficionados were believed to have been abducted for their purported “game-fixing” activities which infuriated some persons.

Those behind the disappearances of the “sabungeros” are believed to be armed since they easily took the victims without any resistance. There were reports that some rogue active and dismissed law enforcement agents could be behind the spate of abductions.

The PNP-CIDG earlier said Inonog was the driver of a Toyota Tamaraw FX which was rented by the five missing “sabungeros.”

The Tamaraw FX was later found abandoned along Sampaloc Highway in Tanay, Rizal.