In a shocking turn of events, a recent exposé has named two of Philippine showbiz’s most recognizable faces—Sunshine Cruz and Gretchen Barretto—in connection with the mysterious disappearance and suspected mass execution of cockfighting participants whose bodies are rumored to lie beneath Taal Lake. The report claims that these high-profile personalities were “dragged into” the scandal by their ties to notorious gambling magnate Charlie “Atong” Ang.

Between 2021 and 2022, more than three dozen sabungeros (cockfighters) vanished under baffling circumstances across Laguna and Batangas provinces. The case lurched into darker territory this June when a suspect came forward, alleging that nearly 100 victims were executed and their remains secretly dumped in the lake. This startling confession has thrust Atong Ang, the self-styled “legal gambling lord” and co‑founder of the Ultimate Fighting Cock Championship, under renewed scrutiny for possible involvement in organized abductions—an allegation he adamantly denies.

Businessman hounded by controversies: Who is Atong Ang?

Adding fuel to the frenzy, social media pundits speculate that Sunshine Cruz—long linked romantically to Ang since December 2024—is being used as a “front” to deflect attention from the tycoon’s alleged illicit network. Meanwhile, Gretchen Barretto, who has historic business ties to Ang’s wife, Iris, finds herself “inadvertently implicated” by association. Both actresses have yet to publicly address these grave rumors.

In Manila’s glossy tabloids and viral TikTok commentaries, netizens are calling for the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police to expand their probe beyond the political heavyweights to include entertainment figures. “If you’re connected to Atong, you’re under suspicion,” one commentator wrote, underscoring the toxic blend of fame and gambling money in modern Philippine society.

As forensic teams race to dredge Taal Lake and families of the missing sabungeros watch in agony, the question looms: will this scandal expose a dark underbelly where celebrity, wealth, and blood money collide? And most tantalizingly—can Sunshine Cruz and Gretchen Barretto clear their names once the dust settles, or will they forever be tainted by this macabre chapter in Philippine pop culture?