Charlie “Atong” Ang, The Gambling Republic’s Gun Toting Convict

In the Philippines one gets away with plunder when you cooperate with the powers that be against their political enemies. Never mind that the very crime one is convicted of is exactly what he does nowadays with a vengeance as if trying to recoup his losses due to a short stint in the exclusive vacation destination known as the penitentiary. Charlie “Atong” Ang a convicted felon deported by US Immigration is back to his old familiar territory according to this report by Ramon Tulfo:

ATONG ANG, adviser to former President Erap on gambling—legal and otherwise—who caused his downfall, rides high again.

Ang is reportedly behind the small-town lottery (lotto) and jai-alai operations in the Cagayan Economic Zone without the approval of Congress and Pagcor.

The operations are illegal, according to Camarines Sur Representative Liwayway Vinzons-Chato who’s calling for a congressional probe.

My sources in the illegal gambling community say Atong Ang has spread his tentacles even outside the Cagayan Economic Zone.

According to my sources, Ang is engaged in “jueteng” in Nueva Vizcaya, Camarines Norte, Isabela, and Albay.

Who’s protecting Atong Ang?

Ramon Tulfo asks further why Charlie “Atong” Ang is so brazen after being convicted by Sandiganbayan as the accomplice of Joseph Estrada in a plunder case. His protectors are definitely not your neighborhood Burangay considering that his allege operations cover a wide area, your guess is as good as mine of who that may be. This is a guy who used to be a high profile gambling buddy of Estrada known in illegal gambling circles prior to his conviction as a masiao operator in Mindanao. Ramon Tulfo has more to say that ticked off the gun toting convict:

Among his former friends, Atong is considered a snake that bites the hand that feeds him.

While Erap was in prison, Atong reportedly impregnated one of his erstwhile benefactor’s girlfriends, a flight stewardess, whom Erap entrusted to him.

At the height of his power when Erap was still president, Atong ran away with his friend’s wife.

The guy he made a cuckold was so trusting he didn’t mind if his wife entertained Atong and company at his house.

Whoever is protecting Atong should be wary of him.

Atong might run away with the protector’s wife or girlfriend.

Old habits die hard.

For writing such “damaging” report in a follow-up column Ramon Tulfo narrates the incident that follows:

In writing this column, I get sued in court and receive death threats.

In a few instances, some people whom I criticized took a potshot at me.

One of such instances took place in a house at a posh subdivision Thursday night when I attended a send-off party for a friend who was going on a two-month vacation in the United States.

Among the other guests was Charlie “Atong” Ang who confronted me on an item I wrote recently about him.

Words became heated between us when he started cursing me.

Atong thought I would just receive all the curses he threw my way, and when I talked back—albeit in a soft tone—he tried to take a punch at me.

Proverbial cooler heads intervened as I stood my ground. He was restrained.

Failing to land a punch, Ang drew a .38 snub-nose revolver from his hip.

That would have been a chance for me to stop him, but I was unarmed because I don’t normally bring a gun to a party.

Luckily, another guest wrested the gun away.

The guy was grandstanding because there were many people around. He knew he and I would be restrained.

Heck only in the land of cheats where ex-convicts are allowed to own gun and not only own but brazenly carry it as if he is in the old frontier days of the wild west. Is there no law in the land of cheats prohibiting convicts to own a gun much less carry a concealed weapon? I wonder why our steamed errr esteemed tongress errr congress people are not doing their sound byte probe in aid of legislation, oh yeah they are busy trying to figure out how to con us in their Con Ass to pave the way for Gloria to become our Prime Sinister errr Minister. They should listen to Camarines Sur Representative Liwayway Vinzons-Chato in calling for a congressional probe to put this ex-convict in his right place if ever he has a clue where it is so as not to slide back to his old ways according to Tulfo’s column below:

Atong Ang is the same guy who, at the height of his power acquired through gambling buddy former President Erap, would slap men who crossed him.

He slapped a congressman inside a cockfighting arena.

He slapped a high official of the Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) when he was losing in the casino.

He would berate top police officials in front of their subordinates.

All those people never fought back and just licked their wounds.

I hope he doesn’t draw a gun on me for the second time when we meet in public again.

Wow, I did not know that Charlie “Atong” Ang is a toughie acting like a Mafiosi overlord but then again that is just how it is in the land of cheats. Now we know why there is a culture of impunity because of their might is right mindset with the end result of seeing gruesome murder like that of Ruby Rose because powerful people literally get away with murder.

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