MANILA, Philippines — Actress Gretchen Barretto appeared Thursday at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to submit her counter-affidavit in connection with charges linking her and several others to the disappearance of a group of cockfighting enthusiasts.
Businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang, another respondent, skipped the hearing but was represented by his lawyer.
The preliminary hearing at the DOJ main office in Manila was hampered by incomplete submissions from the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
Ang’s legal team cited missing documents and USB drives as the reason for their inability to file a counter-affidavit.
Ang’s counsel, Gabriel Villareal, said the seven folders of documents they received lacked the five accompanying USB drives containing critical videos and statements, including one from Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
“The envelopes only had photocopies of the USB contents, not the physical drives themselves,” Villareal explained. He added that without the complete materials, his client could not respond intelligently to the charges.
Barretto’s lawyer, Alma Mallonga, described the statements of whistleblower Julie Patidongan as “bare allegations.”
“Suspicions, rumors, speculations are not evidence. There’s no evidence in this case,” she said.
Prosecutor Charlie Guhit confirmed that only Barretto had submitted a counter-affidavit, while the other respondents deferred their submissions due to the incomplete documents.
The DOJ has ordered the PNP to provide the missing USBs before the next hearing, set for September 29.
