15 police officers detained over alleged killings of cockfighting fans in the Philippines

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15 police officers detained over alleged killings of cockfighting fans in the Philippines

2025-07-08 08:49 Last Updated At：09:01

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Fifteen police officers have been taken into custody and are being investigated for their alleged role in the abductions and feared killings of at least 34 cockfighting fans, the Philippine police chief said Monday.

The missing people were accused of cheating in the hugely popular sport, with their bodies reportedly dumped in a scenic lake with a restive volcano.

The victims went missing around 2021 and 2022 mostly while on their way to or from cockfighting arenas dotting the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, including in the metropolitan Manila capital region.

The unresolved disappearances again drew public attention after a key witness recently surfaced and accused his former employer, a gambling tycoon, of masterminding the killings, with bodies reportedly dumped in Taal Lake south of Manila or burned elsewhere.

National police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said in a news conference that a key witness, who used the alias “Totoy,” provided crucial details. The cockfighting aficionados and workers were strangled and mutilated before being dumped.

Police investigators have corroborated the details and evidence provided by the witness which will be used in criminal complaints to be filed by the Department of Justice against the suspects, he said.

The witness has told local TV networks that he decided to speak out because his former employer was allegedly threatening to have him killed. He said he wanted to help ease the agony of families of the victims who had been demanding justice for their missing kin.

“I was very shocked,” Torre said when asked how he felt over the disclosures made by the witness, who is under police guard. “It firmed up our resolve to really solve this because what happened was savage and not acceptable by any standard.”

Criminal complaints will be filed against the influential businessman, who owns cockfighting arenas and other gambling businesses, and other suspects, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said. The businessman has denied the allegations.

Remulla said he would ask Japan to help provide technology to help look for traces of the remains of the victims, which could still be retrieved from the bottom of Taal Lake about four years after the killings.

While banned in the United States and other Western countries largely due to animal cruelty concerns, cockfighting has been a popular pastime and gambling sport in many parts of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Latin America and some parts of Europe.

Cockfighting arenas are found prominently in far-flung rural towns and major cities across the Philippines and draw large numbers of aficionados in an industry that has become a vibrant part of the local culture and a regulated gambling business that generates state revenues and thousands of jobs. The game involves pitting two roosters — with razor-sharp gaffs or steel blades attached to their legs — in a battle often to the death amid the roar of the crowd.

The missing cockfighting aficionados and workers were accused of cheating by discreetly taking steps to weaken one rooster or diminishing its chances of winning, including by slightly injuring it, then betting on the other rooster.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.