2 more sacks of ‘suspicious objects’ found in Taal Lake
LAUREL, Batangas—The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recovered two sacks containing “suspicious objects” in Taal Lake on Friday, the start of the first organized search for the remains of dozens of people connected to online cockfighting who disappeared without a trace and feared killed several years ago.
The recovery of the sacks came a day after police and coast guard found one that contained suspected charred human bones in the lakebed about 10 meters from the shore of this town’s Barangay Balakilong during a “preliminary inspection” of the site.
Groping at the bottom
When asked whether the two sacks recovered on Friday also contained bones, PCG Southern Tagalog Commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla said “not necessarily,” describing the contents only as “suspicious objects that we found there at the bottom that if you look at it supposedly should not be there.”
The first of the two sacks was found by coast guard divers 200 meters from the shore of Laurel and about 21 meters (70 feet) underwater. The second sack was 100 meters away the shore and about 15 meters (50 feet) deep, according to Tuvilla.
He said the sacks were tattered and were not opened. They were placed inside a cadaver bag in order to preserve their contents and were immediately turned over to the scene of the crime operation (Soco) personnel of the Philippine National Police.
Tuvilla said the divers were just groping their way at the bottom of the lake because visibility at those depths was very poor at only 1 meter.
Following a ‘pattern’
To prevent the sacks from completely disintegrating, the divers covered each one with a fine mesh net so it would not tear apart as they ascended to the surface. “We handled it very carefully,” he said.
Tuvilla said they searched the area according to a “pattern” based on information from one of the suspects in the disappearances, Julie Patidongan, also known by the alias “Totoy.”
“Knowing that this is a very big area to search, they got the information from the witness to really determine where to look. So, that’s the approximate area that was given, so that’s where we started,” the PCG officer said.
The search followed last week’s order from President Marcos for a full investigation of the disappearances and a formal request from Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), PCG and the PNP prepared for the interagency operation, with technical diving and site assessment this week.
According to PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, Remulla requested the deployment of specialized units and remotely operated vehicles and aerial drones.
The coast guard on Friday said three dive teams were deployed to separate dive points 15 meters to 20 meters from Barangay Balakilong’s shoreline.
49 divers tapped
The first group comprising 13 divers reached depths ranging from 16 meters to 21.8 meters.
In all, 36 technical wreck divers out of 49 have been deployed since operations began on Thursday.
The PCG vowed to remain committed to “pursuing all leads” to help bring closure to the families of the missing “sabungeros.”
The 34 who went missing in 2021 and 2022 have been collectively called cockfighting enthusiasts, aficionados or e-sabungeros. In fact, they include not just bettors, but also a seller of chicken feed, several drivers, cockfighting “helpers,” a chicken breeder and a “master agent” of online cockfighting (“e-sabong”).
Earlier this month, Patidongan claimed in a GMA News interview that the missing individuals who were allegedly involved in cheating were killed and their bodies dumped in Taal Lake.
He is one of six suspects charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of one group that was last seen in Manila.
Victims’ kin arrive
Laurel is one of the municipalities surrounding the 234-square-kilometer Taal Lake, along with Talisay, Agoncillo, Sta. Teresita, San Nicolas, Alitagtag, Cuenca, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, and the cities of Tanauan and Lipa—all in Batangas province.
Cha Lasco, sister of online cockfighting master agent Ricardo “Jon-jon” Lasco, was at a grassy portion in Balakilong with the view of the lake on Friday. Her brother was abducted from his home in San Pablo City, Laguna, in August 2021.
Cha was tearful as she watched the divers just a few hundred meters away.
“Jon,” she spoke, “Mommy and I are here now. We hope you’ll finally be found, Jon.”
DNA samples
Cha told reporters that she and her relatives would soon be submitting DNA samples in hopes the remains recovered on Thursday would match her brother’s.
“Mixed emotions. Excited, but at the same time, sad,” she said when asked how she felt about the search.
“It doesn’t end with the recovery of their bodies,” Cha said. “Someone really needs to be held accountable for what happened here.”
In Manila, Malacañang on Friday assured the public that there would be no cover-up in the government’s efforts to solve the case of the missing.
“For the President, it is really necessary to further determine whether the items found are truly related to the case of the missing cockfight enthusiasts,” said Palace press officer Claire Castro.
“And this will not be neglected. There will be no cover-up, and the investigation will continue—that is what the President wants,” she added. —WITH REPORTS FROM LUISA CABATO AND DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.
