The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued Immigration Lookout Bulletin Orders (ILBOs) against businessman Charlie "Atong" Ang, actress Gretchen Barretto, and several other suspects implicated in the case involving missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts), Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Friday.

Remulla confirmed that the lookout orders were issued following allegations made by whistleblower Julie Patidongan, who identified the said individuals as participants in the incident. "We have a lookout bulletin for all of them. It’s already in place. Those mentioned by Patidongan have been issued lookout bulletins already," he stated during a press briefing conducted in a mix of Filipino and English.

Patidongan previously claimed that all the missing sabungeros were killed and buried beneath Taal Lake in Batangas, further implicating Ang as the mastermind behind the case and Barretto as one of the suspects.

When asked whether the DOJ was certain if the suspects were still in the country, Secretary Remulla revealed that one of the persons of interest has already left the Philippines, although it remains unclear whether the individual has returned.

Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon also shared that the preliminary probe into the disappearance is imminent, with over 60 respondents expected to receive subpoenas by next week.

Regarding possible measures to prevent the suspects from fleeing the country, Fadullon explained that prosecutors are currently evaluating the situation to determine if a Preventive Hold Departure Order (PHDO) is necessary. "We will study if there is a basis to anticipate that any of them might leave the country, or if there is that danger, then the prosecutors handling the case can apply for a PHDO," he noted.

This development comes amid heightened public scrutiny into the unresolved case of the missing sabungeros, which has drawn significant media and legal attention.