Photo courtesy of Avito Dalan/Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The National Bureau of Investigation said it had not verified reports that fugitive businessman Atong Ang had already left the Philippines.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau had no official information confirming Ang’s reported departure from the country.
Ang is wanted in connection with the disappearance and alleged killing of at least 34 cockfighting enthusiasts between 2021 and 2022.
Courts in Laguna and Batangas recently issued arrest warrants against him over multiple criminal complaints linked to the missing sabungeros.
Matibag said the NBI had only seen open-source information and media reports regarding Ang’s possible whereabouts.
He declined to identify the locations searched by operatives, saying investigators might still return to those areas as the manhunt continued.
The Philippine National Police was also tracking Ang following reports that he had been moving between locations to evade arrest.
Authorities have accused Ang of being the alleged mastermind behind the disappearances, an allegation that remains subject to court proceedings.