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Philippine coast guard personnel aboard an inflatable boat speeds past one of Taal craters on their way to the site where the bodies of cockfighters were allegedly dumped in Taal Lake off Laurel town, Batangas province South of Manila on July 10, 2025. Search teams began scouring a lake south of the Philippine capital Manila for dozens of cockfighters allegedly murdered by rogue police.
AFP / Ted Aljibe
MANILA, Philippines — The sister of missing sabungero on Thursday, July 10 expressed cautious hope as authorities began scouring Lake Taal for the bodies of dozens allegedly killed by rogue police officers linked to illegal cockfighting operations.
“We are happy that (the government) is doing their best to locate (the bodies) and solve this case,” Charlene Lasco said during a press briefing at national police headquarters in Manila.
Charlene, whose brother, Ricardo Lasco, was an agent for livestreamed cockfights, said the top priority for victims’ families was the chance to finally lay their loved ones to rest.
“We are not the only victims here,” she added, pointing to claims from whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan that as many as 100 people may have been killed.
The search effort marks a major development in a string of disappearances that rattled the country’s multibillion-peso cockfighting industry in 2022.
According to Patidongan, dozens of individuals were allegedly murdered for their involvement in match-fixing schemes, with police officers moonlighting for a cockfighting operator carrying out the killings.
The case resurfaced last month when Patidongan appeared on national television, claiming that the bodies were dumped in Lake Taal, a massive volcanic lake located about two hours south of Manila.
Initial dive prep underway
On Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard and national police began initial preparations for underwater dives. Justice department spokesman Dominic Clavano said the first foray aimed to lay groundwork for further operations, likely reaching depths of around 30 meters (98 feet).
“This is a step in the right direction... but we will not stop here. This is not our only lead,” Clavano said.
Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla earlier confirmed that “multiple witnesses” had identified potential burial sites beneath the 230-square-kilometer (89-square-mile) lake.
Race against typhoon season
National Police Chief Nicolas Torre stressed the urgency of the effort given weather conditions.
“The typhoon season is coming in,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “We are moving fast to at least try to locate the bodies. We know that it is very, very challenging.”
Remulla said he had requested technical assistance from Japan, including support in mapping the lake bed, which in some parts plunges to depths of 172 meters.
Japan’s embassy confirmed receipt of the request to Agence France-Presse but provided no further details.
Torre, however, said the Philippines already had the necessary equipment to proceed.
“We have a very, very robust shipping industry here and in other parts of the Philippines, so we can do it,” he said. — Based on reports from Agence France-Presse
