DOJ: Raps vs suspects in ‘sabungeros’ case ‘ripe for filing’

Authorities are now preparing the affidavits against the perpetrators behind the missing “sabungeros” (cockfight enthusiasts), with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla saying the complaint is now “ripe for filing.”

He declined to identify the complainants and respondents for security reasons, but he said the charges would include murder, kidnapping with murder and violations of international humanitarian law.

“There are just so many details that really can’t be left out, but we will try. I’ll tell our team to speed things up because we’ve been waiting for this for so long. These crimes started back in 2020, and now it’s already 2025,” Remulla told reporters at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday.

He also revealed that the ongoing search and retrieval operations in Taal Lake yielded another set of skeletal remains, including a skull with intact teeth, which is now in the crime laboratory for examination.

“It still has DNA because [the teeth] are intact, still attached to the skull … I’m just not sure if the lower jaw was part of it, but the upper teeth were, so there’s a chance we might get something,” Remulla said.

The latest set of remains was found in the same area of Taal Lake where technical divers are actively conducting search operations on information provided by a state witness.

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Remulla noted that the discovery backed the credibility of testimonies claiming that the remains of dozens of cockfighting enthusiasts were dumped in the lake.

“And maybe what will be found there isn’t just related to the sabong (cockfighting) crimes, but as I said, it could also be linked to the drug war or other crimes that this death squad was involved in,” he added.

The DOJ chief on Tuesday revealed that the government has a new witness in the case who could strengthen the testimony of whistleblower Julie Patidongan.