PHILIPPINE Coast Guard divers cut through the stillness of Taal Lake, expecting silt and silence — only to rise with a sack of burned bones, amid the search for cockfighting aficionados long feared thrown into its depths.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PCG
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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has recovered more sacks from the bottom of Taal Lake on Friday, 11 July, as it launched the first day of full-scale diving operations in the ongoing search for the missing cockfighting enthusiasts, or sabungeros, who vanished in 2021.
There are 30 technical divers deployed a day after the PCG and other authorities conducted an initial site technical assessment of areas identified as potential dumping sites.
It follows claims by self-confessed whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, who alleged the victims were killed and their bodies dumped in the lake. He also accused gaming operator Atong Ang of masterminding their disappearance.
Based on the Department of Justice (DOJ) preliminary information suggests the sacks may have been weighted down with sandbags to ensure they sank to the lakebed.
PCG spokesperson Captain Noemie Cayabyab confirmed that three teams began dives as early as 7:45 a.m. Friday, targeting high-probability areas.
On Thursday, during the technical survey, authorities discovered a white sack containing what appeared to be burned bones near the shoreline.
The remains have been turned over to police for forensic examination to determine if they are human — and potentially linked to the missing sabungeros.
