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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
July 14, 2025 | 12:00pm
Suspected human remains are recovered by authorities in Taal Lake on July 11, 2025.
Philippine Coast Guard / Release
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed on Monday, July 14, that a mix of human and animal remains were discovered in Taal Lake, as the search for the missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts) continues.
In a press briefing, PNP chief Nicolas Torre confirmed that their forensic group has received some of the remains recovered from Batangas.
“May mga nare-recover na mga animal remains, may mga human, at mix-mix na ang ating mga tinitingnan ngayon,” Torre said.
(There have been animal remains recovered, there are human, what we are looking at is mixed.)
Torre explained that there is a farm in the Taal area, which could account for the presence of animal remains.
Authorities are still analyzing the findings to determine which remains are human and which are animal.
The police chief said that the remains will undergo cross-matching analysis with the DNA of the sabungeros’ families.
However, Torre refrained from giving a timeline for the cross-matching analysis, saying that while the process itself was fast, several technical complications could still arise.
The Philippine Coast Guard has sent almost 50 technical divers to help search for the missing sabungeros. At least five sacks of suspected human bones have been recovered from Taal Lake ever since the search began.
Suspect turned whistleblower Julie “Totoy” Patidongan has accused several high-profile personalities of being involved in the case of the missing sabungeros, including businessman Atong Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto.
On top of the personalities involved in the case, Patindongan also said that around 100 sabungeros were disposed of in Taal Lake, instead of the original 34.
