Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Wednesday expressed confidence in the capability of the PNP Forensic Group to help resolve the long-running case of the missing sabungeros following the recovery of skeletal remains from Taal Lake in Batangas.
Nartatez said the scale of the evidence requires extensive scientific analysis but assured full support for investigators in line with directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to pursue accountability in the case.
“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.
The PNP chief said he ordered the mobilization of specialized personnel and advanced DNA technology to speed up examinations, while directing Calabarzon police units to secure the recovery site to preserve evidence.
Earlier, the PNP Forensic Group disclosed that around 1,400 of nearly 2,000 bone fragments recovered from Taal Lake had been identified as human remains. Authorities said the remains underwent medico-legal, anthropological, dental, radiographic imaging and DNA examinations, although the process remains ongoing.
Investigators have yet to determine whether DNA profiles from the recovered remains match any of the reported victims in the missing sabungeros case. Authorities cited the harsh environmental conditions in Taal Lake, including sulfuric acid, high temperatures and mineral content, as factors that may have degraded the evidence.
Nartatez acknowledged the anguish endured by families waiting for answers and vowed that authorities would continue processing every fragment carefully.
“We recognize the immense anxiety this news brings to the families who have waited years for answers,” he said. “We will meticulously process every single fragment to give you the definitive truth and the justice that has been delayed for far too long.”