The DOJ gives a missing sabungeros search update, as operations continue in Taal Lake.
MISSING SABUNGEROS UPDATE – A total of 401 “human skeletal remains” were recovered from Taal Lake, according to the DOJ.
Four years ago, several cockfighting enthusiasts went missing, and according to the recent developments and investigation, they are all dead now and were thrown and sunk to the depths of Taal Lake. These claims came from a whistleblower, who is one of the accused in the case and a former employee of the alleged mastermind, businessman Atong Ang.
Ang and former actress Gretchen Barretto were tied in the case of the missing “sabungeros,” and following his claims, the authorities immediately set out search operations to search for human remains in Taal Lake. As much as we all know, the Taal Lake is the third largest lake in the Philippines, with a depth of 172 meters. Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Balete, Alitagtag, Cuenca, Mataasnakahoy, Lipa City, Tanauan City, Santa Teresita, Talisay, and Laurel are the towns surrounding it.
During the early days of the search operations, the authorities found a sack containing burnt bones and proved that some of them belonged to a human being. In the latest, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said that there is now a total of 401 “human skeletal remains” recovered from the lake.
The data came from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group, and this was revealed to the lawmakers during a House committee on human rights hearing on the case of the missing sabungeros held on Wednesday, August 27.
“From July 10 up to present, based on the records of the PNP Forensic Group, 401 pieces of human skeletal remains have been recovered from 17 different locations by the Philippine Coast Guard,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Eliseo Cruz said.
PNP Forensic Group Director Brig. Gen. Danilo Bacas reported that out of the 401 human bone fragments recovered, 163 skeletal remains had been cross-matched with DNA samples taken from 29 relatives of the missing cockfighting enthusiasts.
The rest no longer hold value as their conditions have already greatly deteriorated.
Of the remains used for testing for DNA matching, were there any matches? Cruz replied: “None, so far.”
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