A Department of Justice (DOJ) official revealed before a House of Representatives panel that at least 401 human skeletal remains from Taal Lake in Batangas have been recovered by authorities as part of the ongoing search for the missing sabungeros (cockfighting aficionados).
DOJ Assistant Secretary Eliseo Cruz told legislators at the House Committee on Human Rights that the recovery operations were conducted on July 10, 2025 following the revelation of Julie Patindongan on the alleged dumping sites of the victims.
The DOJ conducted the retrieval together with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“The disappearance of the missing sabungeros shall never be put in vain, for they are fathers, sons, brothers, and friends whose absence has left enduring pain,” Cruz said, assuring families that the DOJ is committed to pursuing “truth, accountability, and justice” despite attempts to derail the investigation.
Cruz said the skeletal remains were found inside sacks or mesh nets weighted with sandbags to sink them underwater. “Each recovery was carefully documented with coordinates, depth, temperature, and distance from the shoreline before being handed over to PNP Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) for forensic examination,” he said.
On August 10, another set of suspected skeletal remains was recovered in the third quadrant of the lake and immediately turned over to SOCO.
Given these developments, Cruz acknowledged the dangers faced by technical divers, who have begun suffering medical conditions such as ear infections, coughs, and skin irritation from long-term exposure to the lake’s murky waters. He also cited threats posed by venomous Taal water snakes, for which the country has no available anti-venom.
He also disclosed that the DOJ is in talks with the Japanese government, which has expressed willingness to provide technical and logistical support to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Cruz told the panel that several criminal complaints have already been filed before the DOJ by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). These were charges for enforced or involuntary disappearance (RA 10353), multiple counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention (Article 267, RPC), multiple counts of murder (Article 248, RPC), obstruction of justice (PD 1829), violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) in relation to direct bribery (Article 210, RPC), corruption of public officials (Article 212, RPC), and related violations under the New Philippine Passport Act (RA 11983).
“These complaints have undergone evaluation and have been certified sufficient for the conduct of preliminary investigation,” Cruz noted.
