PCG Recovers More Sacks From Taal Lake

Two more sacks of suspected human bones were found by divers on Friday, July 11, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said following the earlier recovery of what appeared to be skeletal remains in the search and retrieval operations for missing sabungeros at Taal Lake in Batangas. 

In an interview over dzRH, PCG spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab said the recovered sacks will undergo examination to determine if these are the bones of missing cockfight enthusiasts.

“Based on the report we got, there are two (sacks) that were added. These were forwarded to us for further verification with the agency,” Cayabyab said.

She added that the second sack was found at 2:45 p.m. and the third sack at 3:50 p.m.

Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla said the two sacks of suspected bones were turned over to Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) for examination.

“(The sacks were discovered) in different places. (The contents of the sacks) are still going to be determined by the SOCO,” Tuvilla said, adding that each sack was placed immediately in a bag to prevent contamination.

“We have a straight-line search pattern. It’s 100 meters long. That’s what our divers are following. We put a flotation device when we see a suspicious object below. That’s how we tag it. We put coordinates so that when other government agencies arrive, we can extract it properly,” Tuvilla added.

He said the first sack was recovered at approximately 70 feet and the other one was at 50 feet. “When it gets deeper, the video description of our divers at the bottom shows that the visibility is only one meter so, it’s very deep. But when they see an object, it can disintegrate. We wrap it with a fine mesh net so that when we ascend, it won’t explode. That’s what we do. We handle it very carefully,” he said.

On Thursday, July 10, police searching for the bodies of sabungeros found what appeared to be skeletal remains in the Taal lakeside area in Batangas.

The bones, which were placed inside a sack, were reportedly unearthed in a grassy area by the lake in Laurel town. 

The site is one of the areas which whistle-blower Julie Patidongan, also known as Totoy, identified as dumping ground for the sabungeros, Calabarzon police director Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky said.

The Department of Justice said the recovered suspected human bones would still undergo forensic examination and DNA testing to determine their relevance to the case. 

Marcos orders thorough probe

President Marcos has ordered a thorough investigation into the discovery of what appeared to be human bones unearthed in Taal’s lakeside area, where bodies of missing sabungeros had allegedly been dumped. 

“The President wants a deeper probe if this (retrieved skeletal remains) is really related to the missing sabungeros,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a press briefing.

Castro assured the families of the victims there would be no cover-up in the case. “This will not be neglected. There will be no cover-up,” she said.

More divers deployed

More Coast Guard divers were deployed Friday morning to search for the missing sabungeros. 

Three dive teams were dispatched to separate dive points 52 to 72 feet away from the shoreline of Barangay Balakilong in Laurel, Batangas.

A total of 13 divers in the first wave reached depths ranging from 16 to 21.8 meters. All teams have concluded their first dive as of 9:20 a.m. and a second dive later in the day. A total of 36 technical wreck divers among 49 divers have been deployed since operations began on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Patidongan is hoping the remains of the victims would be found soon.

“I hope they will be recovered soon because I know that it’s deep down there,” he said over ABS-CBN News.

Patidongan also welcomed reports that some of the police officers who were implicated in the killings have expressed willingness to become state witnesses. “It’s probable they have an idea there and the DOJ should accept them so I can have allies,” he said.

Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, for her part, lamented how the issue has negatively affected Batangas, particularly Taal Lake, from where their fishermen earn their livelihood.

“The business of our fishermen has been affected,” she said at a press conference. Santos said it remains unconfirmed if the bodies of sabungeros were actually buried in the lake.

ROV arriving 

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is expected to arrive in the country to help in the search and retrieval operations at the Taal Lake in Batangas amid the search for missing sabungeros, the PCG said.

In an interview over dzBB, PCG’s Cayabyab said three teams were deployed yesterday for the ongoing search for missing sabungeros.

“We have three teams as of the moment but we have 33 technical divers that we will deploy in all operations. Aside from that, we are also expecting an underwater remote operated vehicle so this will also help the Philippine Coast Guard because during the site assessment yesterday, it is a bit deep and narrow. There are complexities and challenges when it comes to our technical divers,” Cayabyab said.

She said the ROV has the capability to see underwater up to 1,000 feet and can also pick up an object. Quad comm eyes probe 

The House quad committee will tackle the issue on missing sabungeros at its next hearing in the 20th Congress, Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante said.

“Yes, most probably we will still talk about that with my co-chairman,” Abante said in a text message to The Philippine STAR. 

Abante said the missing sabungeros issue also involved extrajudicial killings that may merit an investigation by the quad comm. He said he had already talked with some of his incoming co-members.

He said the quad comm may likely invite businessman Atong Ang and his long-time staff turned whistle-blower Patidongan as resource persons.

The 20th Congress is scheduled to hold its first session on July 28, when President Marcos will deliver his State of the Nation and Address (SONA). 

The respective committees of the House are expected to be constituted after.

‘Living by truth harder’

Are you ready to live by the truth?

That’s the question posed by Rodolfo Lozada Jr. as another whistleblower makes headlines, this time surrounding the disappearance of the sabungeros.

“Living in the truth is harder than one-time telling the truth,” Lozada said over News5. “To blow a whistle, that’s easy. But the question is, are you ready to live by the truth? That’s harder.” 

Lozada said that whether his enemies would return to seek revenge is now in God’s hands. “I surrendered already. When something happens and God allows it, He has a purpose for it,” he said over ANC.

Amid the political turmoil hounding the Philippines, Lozada emphasized that “nothing is forever,” adding that “there will always be a time of reckoning when, at a certain God-ordained time, it will happen.”

Lozada said Patidongan has entered the most difficult phase of his life. The latter has pointed the finger at Ang, his former boss, as the alleged mastermind behind the sabungeros’ disappearance and deaths.

Patidongan earlier told GMA News that he has received a funeral wreath with the message “Rest in Peace.” But the former farm manager remains defiant. 

“Scare somebody else, not me,” he said.

PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said on Monday that Patidongan is already under protective custody, pending his application to become a state witness. 

Once qualified under the witness protection program, Torre said, the whistleblower will be handed over to the justice department. – With additional reports from Ed Amoroso, EJ Macababbad, Emmanuel Tupas, Helen Flores and Jose Rodel Clapano