Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday said the case of the missing cockfighting enthusiasts should be left to the police, as the Senate also carries out its own probe over it.
"'Yan po ay iniimbestigahan ng pulis. Kami naman po ay hindi pulis, kami po ay tagabuo ng batas at pumapasa ng batas, nagde-debate sa batas," he told DZRH on Monday.
(That is being investigated by the police. We are not the police, we come up with laws, we pass laws, and we debate over laws.)
According to Drilon, the cases should be left under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
"'Yang mga bagay na 'yan ay [iwanan] lang natin sa CIDG," he said. "Let us leave the matter to the police agency."
(Those cases should be left to the CIDG… Let us leave the matter to the police agency.)
He made the remarks while the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs carries out a probe over the case of missing sabungeros, citing the urgency of the case and finding out the root cause of it all.
The Philippine National Police has reported a total of 34 missing sabungeros, where some of them disappearing as early as last year.
Due to their disappearances, the Senate has signed a resolution proposing to suspend the operations of e-sabong and is considering the halt of businessman Atong Ang's franchise application for his e-sabong firm because of the case.
Drilon, on his part, agreed that the Senate should be discussing the franchise application of Ang's e-sabong firm Lucky 8.
"Ang ating dapat talakayin 'yung proposed prangkisa noong Lucky 8 na siyang mago-operate ng e-sabong," he said.
(What we should be discussing is the proposed franchise of Lucky 8 that will operate e-sabong.)
