MISSING SABUNGEROS
PNP confirms human remains recovered from Taal Lake in missing ‘sabungeros’ search
Some of the bones recovered from Taal Lake during the ongoing search for missing “sabungeros” (cockfighting enthusiasts) have been confirmed as human remains, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Nicolas Torre III announced on Monday.
During a press briefing, Torre addressed inquiries about the nature of the recovered bones. “Halo-halo ‘no kasi alam niyo naman may farm diyan sa lugar na ‘yan. May farm, ang Taal ay farming ‘yan. So andiyan na lahat ng makikita natin. May mga na-recover na mga animal remains. May human,” Torre said, explaining that the recovered items are a mix, including animal remains, due to the presence of farms in the Taal area. He added, “Mix-mix na ang ating mga tinitingnan ngayon. Kaya kasama sa ating processing diyan ang mag-differentiate kung ito ba ay animal origin o human origin.”
A total of five sacks suspected to contain bones have been recovered from Taal Lake since Thursday. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) initially conducted an assessment on the site on Thursday before launching official search and retrieval operations.
Authorities have also focused on the “fishpond lease” of one of the suspects in the ongoing investigation, which is considered the “ground zero” of the operation. The first sack, containing bones, was found near the shoreline in the town of Laurel, close to the location where whistleblower and co-accused Julie “Dondon” Patidongan claimed the missing sabungeros were transported before being dumped in the lake.
These bones have since been turned over to the police for forensic examination. DNA testing will also be conducted to determine if there is a match with any of the families of the missing sabungeros.
A total of 34 cockfighting enthusiasts have been reported missing between 2021 and 2022. According to the police, the missing individuals were allegedly kidnapped due to suspected match-fixing or cheating in cockfighting games.
Patidongan has claimed that the victims were already buried in Taal Lake. He has also named businessman Atong Ang as a mastermind in the case and linked actress Gretchen Barretto to the disappearances, both of whom have denied the allegations.
