Taal divers find 2 suspect sacks: Palace vows no coverup

Taal Lake gave up more of its hideous secrets on Friday as more sacks believed to contain human bones were retrieved from the lakebed, which may prove the veracity of the revelations of confessed whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan regarding the up to 100 sabungeros or cockfight enthusiasts who went missing starting in 2021.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Southern Tagalog Commander, Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, said on Friday two more sacks were recovered by diving teams in the waters off Balakilong, Laurel, Batangas.

Diving teams recovered the first sack containing what appeared to be burned bones on Thursday, according to the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Patidongan, in a social media post, said the initial discoveries verified his account of the incidents and the personalities involved.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla emphasized the discovery will be subjected to scientific tests.

The recovered sacks, placed in body bags, will undergo forensic investigation to determine what the objects inside them are.

“The sacks contain suspicious objects. Our divers discovered them in murky water, which made it difficult for them to identify it. They were buried in mud. The SoCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) will determine what is inside the sacks,” Tuvilla said.

“We will do everything we can to check the bottom of the lake and to ease the worries of the families.

“We cannot (really) say whether there are 34 or 100 sacks dumped here. That’s why we are inspecting the waters,” he said.

“The objects recovered will need DNA testing, which is why all of the sacks recovered are processed and checked by the PNP (Philippine National Police)-SOCO and forensic experts,” he added.

The PCG launched the first day of full-scale diving operations in the ongoing search for the missing cockfight enthusiasts, or sabungeros, who vanished in 2021.

There were 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.

Patidongan alleged that the victims were killed and their bodies dumped in the lake. He also accused gaming operator Atong Ang of masterminding the disappearances.

Based on the DoJ’s preliminary information, the sacks may have been weighed down with sandbags to ensure they sank to the lakebed.

PCG spokesperson Captain Noemie Cayabyab said three teams began dives at 7:45 a.m. Friday, targeting “high-probability areas” which were those pinpointed by Patidongan.

Palace intent on closure

Malacañang, meanwhile, ensured that there would be no cover-up in the case. In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro acknowledged that the discovery of possible remains could potentially be linked to the electronic-sabong mystery.

She stressed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains steadfast in uncovering the truth and securing justice for the victims and their families.

“The President believes it is essential first to determine whether the recovered remains are indeed connected to the case of the missing sabungeros,” she said.

If the link is confirmed, Castro said it will only reinforce the administration’s commitment to deliver justice to the victims and their families.

“This will not be ignored. There will be no cover-up. The investigation will continue—that is the President’s directive,” she added.

Castro reiterated the Marcos administration’s earlier statement that no individual will be spared from accountability.

The case of the missing sabungeros, which broke in 2021, has become a high-profile national issue, with families of the victims repeatedly calling for justice and accountability amid years of unresolved investigation.

Aside from divers, the PCG has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the search area.