Laurel, Batangas — Zero visibility was the challenge faced by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) divers as they pressed forward with a painstaking underwater search in Taal Lake on Saturday, scouring the depths for any trace of the 34 missing cockfighting enthusiasts who were abducted in 2021.

Focusing southeast of the Alitagtag-Laurel bridge, the operation has been severely hampered by murky waters, forcing divers to rely almost entirely on touch to navigate the lakebed.

“Visibility is less than a meter — once they submerge, they’re essentially blind,” said Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, Commander of the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog. “This is a slow, meticulous search.”

Despite the conditions, divers have begun marking suspicious objects with buoys for further investigation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA), which will handle any potential evidence recovery.

So far, no remains or personal items have been retrieved. Tuvilla stressed that the treacherous conditions — combined with the uneven lakebed — require extreme caution.

“Every movement is deliberate. We can’t risk disturbing possible evidence without proper protocols,” he said.

To aid the effort, the team is using underwater cameras, though limited visibility reduces their effectiveness. Each dive team includes a reference diver to prevent disorientation, while flotation markers guide entry and exit points.

The current search spans roughly 100 square meters, with dive patterns adjusted based on ongoing assessments and intelligence from investigators.

“We’ve flagged some areas for re-examination, but this will take time,” Tuvilla said.

Tuvilla said the operation marks the latest attempt to solve the baffling disappearance of the sabungeros, a case that has drawn national attention and prompted congressional hearings.

After more than two years, families of the missing continue to await answers as authorities push forward in one of the country’s most challenging recovery missions.