FACT-CHECK: Old video of tycoon Atong Ang resurfaces amid manhunt

admin 3:19 AM
CLAIM: Tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang was arrested and was meted the death penalty.
 
RATING: FALSE

 

An old video of tycoon Charlie Tiu Hay Ang, also known as Atong Ang, resurfaced on social media to to accompany a false claim that he was finally arrested, days after a non-bailable warrant was issued by a Regional Trial Court on Jan. 13.

Flagged content: YouTube channel “TRENDING PINAS NEWS” uploaded the video on Jan. 17 pretending to be a legitimate breaking news report on Ang’s supposed arrest.

  • The caption and text on the thumbnail read: “KAKAPASOK LANG! ATONG ANG NAIYAK HULI NA, BITAY ANG HATOL” , “walang nagawa ang yaman” (sic). (Just in! Atong Ang cried, already caught, death by hanging was imposed. Wealth did nothing.)
  • The thumbnail used a manipulated image that falsely shows Ang handcuffed by police officers. A close up of his face was altered with artificial intelligence (AI) to appear to be emotional, while behind bars.

Our debunk: The uploaded video used an old footage of Ang when he filed a complaint against accusers, Julie “Dondon” Patidongan and Alan “Brown” Bantiles, before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office on July. 3, 2025.

  • The footage showed Ang walking down the stairs with his bodyguard and cameramen around. He was not arrested that time.
  • The same footage can also be found in various news reports published on the same date.

Rewind: On Jan. 13, Branch 26 of the Laguna Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant against Ang and 17 other individuals for kidnapping and homicide, in relation to the missing sabungeros (cockfighters) case.

  • On Jan. 15, a second arrest warrant against Ang and 20 other individuals was issued by the Lipa City Regional Trial Court.
  • On Jan. 16, a P10-million bounty was offered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to those who can provide leads on Ang’s location.

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, Ang was declared a “fugitive from justice” by the justice department.

  • Whistleblower testimony claims that over a hundred sabungeros were killed and dumped in Taal lake in Batangas.
  • While human remains have been found in the lake mid-2025, DNA analysis and forensic testing have yet to identify who the victims were.

Spot the fake: Disinformation that mimics real breaking news distorts the public’s understanding of developing stories such as the case of the missing sabungeros. This news-cycle disinformation has the potential to mislead the public into believing that justice has been served. Dhayshel Tinoy


IFCN Signatory Badge

PressOne.PH is a verified signatory of the Code of Principles of the International Fact -Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter. The code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network is a series of commitments organizations abide by to promote excellence in fact-checking. We believe nonpartisan and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument of accountability journalism..

PressOne.PH believes that fact-checking is essential to combating misinformation and disinformation, and in informing and educating citizens and voters. Read more of PressOne.PH’s Fact-Checking Policy by clicking here.

The public is welcome to send feedback or requests for fact-checks at factcheck@pressone.ph.

If you believe PressOne.PH is violating the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), you may submit a complaint directly to the IFCN website: https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/complaints-policy

<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1535372364357523" data-ad-slot="8956430836" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Tags
Reactions

Post a Comment

0 Comments