PNP can’t confirm proof of life for missing ‘sabungeros’ for now

The Philippine National Police (PNP) cannot confirm if there was proof of life for the 34 missing cockfight enthusiasts, PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Monday.

At a press briefing, Azurin said the PNP was expecting “the worst.”

“Sa ngayon, we cannot confirm kung merong proof of life because so far yung mga cellphone, mga pieces of evidence lang ang unti-unti nating naa-unearth. We expect for the worst,” Azurin said.

(For now, we cannot confirm if there is proof of life because so far what we have unearthed little by little were just cellphones and pieces of evidence. We expect for the worst.)

Azurin said the PNP will continue to pursue justice for them whatever happened to the missing “sabungeros.” 

Earlier, the PNP said there was still no credible lead on the whereabouts of the 34 cockfight enthusiasts who have been missing since last year.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has released composite sketches of two suspects in the disappearance of Michael Bautista, one of the 34 missing, in Sta, Cruz, Laguna.

One of these suspects was identified as “Dondon,” who is also being linked to the cases of several missing cockfight enthusiasts in Manila.

Initially, complaints were filed against eight identified persons and several John Does involved in the Manila Arena case, and against five police personnel and their cohorts in the Ricardo Lasco kidnapping  case early this year, the CIDG said. —NB, GMA Integrated News