A mix of human and animal bones has been recovered by divers of the Philippine Coast Guard who are now on their third day of scouring Taal Lake in search for the remains of the “missing sabungeros” (cockfight enthusiasts), the Philippine National Police revealed on Monday (July 14).

This developed as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing and thorough search for the missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts) at Taal Lake, utilizing a specialized underwater search technique known as the "jackstay" method.

In a press briefing, PNP chief General Nicolas Torre disclosed that the police forensic group has already received the recovered remains.

“May mga nare-recover na mga animal remains, may mga human, at mix-mix na ang ating tintingnan ngayon,” Torre said.

Forensic examiners are currently in the process of identifying and sorting which of the recovered remains belong to humans or animals.

Next will be the cross-matching analysis and determination of whether the human bones belong to any of the sabungeros who, a witness claimed, were abducted, killed then thrown into the lake,sometime 2021 to 2022.

Meanwhile in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon over PTV, PCG spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab said dive operations continue, with five sacks recovered so far. These sacks are believed to contain bones and rocks, but further analysis is pending.

“Tuloy-tuloy po ang ginagawa pong diving operations and we will just wait po for the advice kung kailan po ang termination from the lead agency (Deaprtment of Justice),” said Cayabyab.

To navigate the lake’s murky waters and ensure a systematic search, PCG divers are using the jackstay search method, which involves placing ropes or guidelines underwater to form a search grid that divers can follow precisely.

Cayabyab noted that the diving teams are focusing on areas identified through intelligence gathered by the DOJ and other law enforcement agencies.

“Taal Lake is vast—if our divers were to search the entire area without guidance, it could take years,” she explained. “That’s why it helps significantly when we are provided with likely locations to concentrate our efforts.”