The search for gambling businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang has taken a new turn after Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the fugitive had allegedly slipped out of the Philippines through unofficial routes.
But the Department of Justice (DOJ) is offering a different assessment. Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the immigration records available to his office do not establish that Ang has left the country, emphasizing that authorities must rely on verified information.
The conflicting statements have intensified questions about the government’s ability to track wanted individuals, secure the country’s borders and coordinate intelligence among law enforcement agencies.
Did Atong Ang leave the Philippines a year ago?
Reports about Ang’s possible departure have circulated for months.
In January 2026, Remulla said authorities were investigating information suggesting that Ang might have moved his gambling operations to Cambodia after the shutdown of Philippine offshore gaming operators. At that point, officials acknowledged they had no conclusive proof that he was abroad.
In April, Remulla discussed intelligence suggesting that Ang might have traveled through Mindanao toward Malaysia before possibly reaching Vietnam. Those reports were not, by themselves, confirmation of his exact whereabouts.
By October 20, Remulla was publicly saying Ang had already left the Philippines through what he described as a “backdoor” route. However, he declined to provide details about the departure or identify the route allegedly used, citing the ongoing investigation.
The timeline remains important: earlier reports concerned suspicions and intelligence leads, while the latest statement presents departure as the government’s current assessment. A verified departure date and independently confirmed destination have not been publicly established in the cited reports.
DOJ questions whether Ang is actually abroad
The DOJ’s position highlights the difficulty of confirming a suspected unauthorized departure.
Vida said the Bureau of Immigration had no record confirming Ang’s departure and that the information available to the department continued to point to his presence in the Philippines. He clarified that the absence of a departure record does not automatically prove where Ang is located.
That distinction is crucial. If someone allegedly crossed a border without passing through an official immigration checkpoint, the lack of a recorded departure would not necessarily settle the question. But without independent evidence, the claim that Ang is abroad also remains unverified.
The two agencies’ public assessments therefore leave a central question unresolved: where is Ang now?
Why authorities are searching for Atong Ang
Ang is wanted in connection with the disappearance of at least 34 cockfighting enthusiasts, commonly known as sabungeros, between 2021 and 2022.
He faces criminal charges that include kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping with serious illegal detention in cases before courts in Laguna and Batangas. The allegations concern people who reportedly disappeared amid disputes associated with cockfighting operations. Ang has denied involvement in the accusations.
Authorities have been pursuing leads inside the Philippines and coordinating with foreign counterparts as they investigate possible international movements.
In January, the National Bureau of Investigation said it was preparing to coordinate with Cambodian law enforcement to determine whether Ang had entered the country. At that stage, investigators had not confirmed his presence there.
Border security comes under renewed scrutiny
The controversy has also placed attention on the Philippines’ informal maritime routes and other potential gaps in border monitoring.
On October 21, Remulla said the government was working to improve surveillance technology and enforcement capabilities involving the Philippine Coast Guard, police and immigration authorities. He acknowledged that monitoring unofficial entry and exit points remained a challenge.
If investigators establish that Ang departed through an unauthorized route while wanted by Philippine courts, authorities would need to determine how the departure occurred and whether anyone assisted him.
However, the public record cited here does not establish that a specific immigration officer, police official or other government employee helped Ang escape. Any allegation of official involvement would require evidence and an investigation.
What happens next in the Atong Ang manhunt?
The next steps will depend on whether investigators can verify Ang’s location, establish how he may have left the country and secure reliable information that can lead to his arrest.
If he is confirmed to be overseas, authorities may need to work with foreign law enforcement and use applicable legal procedures to seek his return. If he remains in the Philippines, the manhunt would continue domestically.
For now, the conflicting statements from the DILG and DOJ leave the public with an unresolved question. Remulla says Ang has escaped through an unofficial route, while the Justice Department says its records do not confirm that departure.
Until investigators produce verifiable evidence, Ang’s precise whereabouts and the circumstances of his alleged departure remain uncertain.
