Over the weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said they are working very carefully to find the missing cockfighting men (called sabungeros) in Taal Lake. They explained that the divers looking for clues are in danger every time they go underwater, so every dive needs to be worth it.
🧭 Searching with a Careful Plan
Captain Noemi Cayabyab, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, said the team is using a very careful plan every time they dive. She explained that their goal is to make each dive count because the divers risk their lives underwater.
“We always want each dive to find something important,” she said on a TV report on GMA’s 24 Oras Weekend.
She added that even just going underwater is risky, so it’s very important that they try to find something during every dive.
👨⚕️ Doctors Standing By to Help Divers
Because diving deep is dangerous, special doctors called hyperbaric doctors are at the lake. They help take care of the divers before and after they go into the water.
🌊 What’s Happening Underwater?
On Sunday, the Coast Guard showed real underwater video of the search. The video showed how hard it is for divers:
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The water is dark and dirty.
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There are strong currents (water moving fast underwater).
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The lake is very deep.
Before diving, the divers even prayed and attended mass on the lake shore, asking for safety and strength.
🧺 Mysterious Sacks Found Underwater
During the search, the teams found sacks (big bags) at the bottom of the lake. Inside some of them were things that looked like bones. But the Coast Guard says they did NOT plant the bones, even though some people think they did.
Commander Geronimo Tuvilla, who leads the team in Southern Tagalog, said they are being very careful. Every sack they find is:
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Opened underwater by the divers.
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Reported to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the crime investigators (SOCO).
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Brought to land for investigation.
“Some of the sacks might just have animal food, but we still open them and check what’s inside, just to be sure,” he said.
🧵 How Do They Search the Lake?
The divers use a method called the jackstay search. This means:
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They put a rope underwater to guide them in a straight line.
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They move slowly, checking everything near the line.
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If they don’t find anything, they move the line and search a new area.
“We moved 10 meters northeast, checked everything, but found nothing. So we will move again until we search the entire area,” Tuvilla said.
🤖 High-Tech Help Coming Soon
On Monday, the Coast Guard will also start using a special robot called a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). This robot can go as deep as 1,000 feet underwater and will help look in areas that are too risky for human divers.
🧬 What Happens If They Find Bones?
If they find bones that might be human, they will be:
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Sent to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
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Tested for DNA.
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Compared to the family members of the missing sabungeros to see if there’s a match.
⚠️ Expert: Be Careful with the Evidence
Dr. Raquel Fortun, a well-known expert who examines dead bodies (a forensic pathologist), said the people working at the lake should be more careful with the sacks they find.
She noticed in one picture that a sack looked too clean, even though it came from the lake. She also saw that the contents were moved to another sack, which she says should not be done at the scene.
“It’s strange that the sack looks so clean. It makes me question how they handled the evidence,” she said.
🕵️♂️ Why Are They Searching the Lake?
This search is connected to the case of 34 missing sabungeros. These men disappeared from places like Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, Manila, and Rizal from April 2021 to January 2022.
One of the suspects in the case, known as Totoy, claimed that the sabungeros were killed and thrown into Taal Lake. He said they were caught cheating in cockfights—they were secretly weakening their own roosters and betting on the stronger ones from other people.
