By Brian Campued
The government remains committed to uncovering the truth about the case of the 34 missing “sabungeros” to serve justice to the victims and their families, Malacañang said Friday.
Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro made the statement as authorities started the search and retrieval operations for the missing cockfighters, whose bodies were allegedly dumped in Taal Lake, according to whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan.
“Hindi po ito pababayaan, hindi po magkakaroon ng cover-up. Tuluy-tuloy pa rin po ang pag-iimbestiga. ‘Yan po ang nais ng Pangulo (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.),” Castro said.
According to Castro, the President has also ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged human bones found at the lakebed near Laurel, Batangas on Thursday.
“Sa Pangulo po ay dapat mas alamin pa kung ito pong mga natagpuan ay talagang may kinalaman po sa nasabing kaso ng missing sabungeros,” she said.
The sack containing the blackened remains were turned over to the Philippine National Police-Scene of the Crime Operatives (PNP-SOCO) for forensic examination.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) added that if the bones are proven to be of human origin, a DNA testing will be conducted to determine if there is a match with any of the families of the missing cockfighters.
On Friday afternoon, two more sacks were recovered by the technical divers of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
According to PCG Southern Tagalog Commander, Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, the first sack was found approximately 70 feet deep in Taal Lake, while the second sack was found 50 feet deep.
The retrieved sacks were also turned over to the SOCO to determine its contents, Tuvilla added.
Tuvilla assured the kin of the missing sabungeros as well as the public that the PCG will not stop searching the lake as long as the weather permits.
“We will try to do the best that we could para maibsan ‘yong agam-agam ng mga pamilya at ng publiko,” he said. “We will do everything we could para ma-check natin ‘yong bottom for whatever we could get.”
-jpv
