PNP: Missing sabungeros' kin gave DNA samples for cross-matching with bones from Taal Lake

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said some family members of missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts) have provided DNA specimens for the cross-matching examination with the human bones recovered from Taal Lake.

“In terms of cross-matching, kumuha na kami ng mga standards sa mga kins, sa mga kapamilya ng missing sabungeros. Pero for the details of this case, we are deferring to the spokesman or to the direction of the Department of Justice (DOJ),” PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III said in a press briefing.

“The DOJ is the one leading and we are fully supporting and providing the technical support, especially on the processing of the remains that are recovered in Taal by our divers from the Philippine Coast Guard,” he added.

PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said that at least 12 family members of the missing sabungeros were able to give DNA specimens.

“At least 12. I was informed at least 12 po doon sa mga kaanak ng mga missing sabungero ay nakuhanan na po ng DNA profile,” Fajardo said.

“So we are just waiting for the official result to be issued by the forensic group kung may magma-match po dito sa mga possible human remains na nakuha po natin doon sa tatlo hanggang apat na araw na pag-retrieve po ng mga possible remains po diyan sa paligid ng Taal Lake,” she added.

Torre III said some of the recovered bones from Taal Lake during the search for missing sabungeros were human remains.

“Halo-halo 'no kasi alam niyo naman may farm diyan sa lugar na 'yan. May farm, ang Taal ay farming 'yan. So andiyan na lahat ng makikita natin. May mga na-recover na mga animal remains. May human,” Torre said.

(They're mixed because as you know there are farms in the area. Taal [town] is into farming. There are farms there. So everything is there. There were animal remains recovered. There were human [bones].)

“Mix-mix na ang ating mga tinitingnan ngayon. Kaya kasama sa ating processing diyan ang mag-differentiate kung ito ba ay animal origin o human origin,” he added.

(We're looking at mixed remains. Part of our processing is differentiating if a piece is of animal origin or human origin.)

Five sacks with suspected human bones have been recovered from Taal Lake since Thursday so far.

A total of 34 cockfighting enthusiasts have been reported missing from 2021 to 2022. According to the police, the missing personalities were kidnapped allegedly due to match fixing or cheating in the cockfighting games.

Whistleblower and co-accused Julie “Dondon” Patidongan claimed that the victims were already buried in Taal Lake.

He named businessman Atong Ang as a mastermind in the case and also linked actress Gretchen Barretto to the disappearances. Both have denied the allegations. —KG, GMA Integrated News