Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. expressed full confidence Wednesday in the agency’s forensic experts to resolve the years-long disappearance of dozens of cockfight enthusiasts following the discovery of 1,400 human bone fragments in Taal Lake.
In a statement, the PNP chief said the sheer volume of evidence recovered in Batangas province requires extensive scientific analysis as he promised full resources to investigators, citing directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to pursue accountability.
“Identifying over a thousand bone fragments is undeniably a tall order for our forensic teams, but I have absolute confidence in the expertise and capability of the PNP Forensic Group,” Nartatez said.
He ordered the mobilization of specialized personnel and advanced DNA technology to speed up the process. He also directed regional police units in Calabarzon to secure the recovery site to protect remaining evidence.
The PNP Forensic Group recently announced that about 1,400 of roughly 2,000 bone fragments retrieved from the lake have been confirmed as human.
The remains are undergoing medical, anthropological, X-ray, dental and DNA examinations.
Officials have not yet confirmed whether any DNA profiles match the missing cockfighters, known locally as sabungeros.
Experts cited that the lake’s environmental conditions — including sulfuric acid, high temperatures and high mineral content — may have degraded the biological evidence.
Nartatez acknowledged the prolonged agonizing wait endured by the victims’ families but vowed that investigators would exhaust all scientific means to find answers.
“We recognize the immense anxiety this news brings to the families who have waited years for answers,” Nartatez said. “While the scientific process ahead is deeply complex, our commitment to you remains unshakeable.”
