6 bones from Taal may be of human origin

MANILA, Philippines —  Only six out of the 91 bone fragments recovered from Taal Lake are suspected to be of human origin and are now being prioritized for DNA testing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group confirmed yesterday.

Lt. Col. Edmar dela Torre, officer-in-charge of the DNA laboratory division, said their team is currently sorting the fragments to separate non-human specimens from the possible human remains.

He said the biggest challenge in the investigation is the condition of the bones, noting that they may have been submerged in water for up to four years, based on witness claims.

“If that’s the case, it will be very difficult for us to extract a viable DNA profile,” Dela Torre said, adding that prolonged exposure to water, especially one containing sulfur compounds, such as in Taal Lake, further degrades biological material.

Despite the difficulty, the PNP Forensic Group is continuing its work to determine whether DNA profiles can still be generated.

“Regardless of the condition, we will still examine them. We want to remain transparent to the public. We’ll release our findings, whether or not we are able to extract DNA,” Dela Torre said.

He explained that the disaster victim identification process involves multiple disciplines, including medico-legal examination, odontology and DNA testing.

He added that other items recovered, such as clothing and personal effects, are also being examined as part of the identification process.

Dela Torre said the next step is to generate a DNA profile from the suspected human remains. Only then can authorities begin comparing the profiles with DNA samples already collected from the families of the missing sabungeros.

“If we don’t generate a DNA profile, then there is nothing to compare with the relatives’ samples,” he said.

2 more sacks with  skeletons recovered

Two sacks containing human skeletal remains suspected to be those of the missing sabungeros were retrieved in Taal Lake yesterday, according to Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Remulla said the sacks were retrieved from a location pinpointed by boatmen identified by whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, who is one of the accused in the disappearance of the sabungeros.

Cursory examinations of the contents of the sacks showed they were clearly human remains as it included “human ribs.”

Two other sacks that were found contained sand, which were believed to be used to weigh down the other sacks to the lake bed.

With this development, Remulla said, shows it is a “positive identification” that Patidongan “knew what he was talking about.”

Remulla also said authorities have also exhumed three remains from a cemetery in Batangas as part of the government’s search for the sabungeros. He said these remains were recovered from Taal Lake in 2020, but the police decided to bury the bodies when they remained unclaimed from the funeral parlor.

One of those buried, he said, must be a woman because of the kind of underwear found.

There was also a basketball jersey which, according to an undisclosed witness, could have belonged to one of the persons who went missing in 2020.

Remulla earlier said the remains could be connected to the sabungeros or part of the killings during the Duterte administration’s drug war.

He said they are setting up a “DNA bank” in a bid to identify the remains exhumed, as well as those retrieved in Taal Lake.

Underwater drone sees large plastic bag

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday said that its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) saw a large plastic bag in the Taal Lake but declined to give additional information, following the announcement from the DOJ that it will be the sole agency to provide updates on the investigation on the missing sabungeros.

In a video footage taken by their ROV, an image of an object was seen. However, the PCG said it was not a sack but a “large plastic bag.”

It also did not disclose the contents of the large plastic bag and explained that “In line with the guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), please be informed that the DOJ is the sole authorized agency to release any official information or materials regarding the ongoing recovery efforts.”

According to a report of Radyo Pilipinas, the PCG had already completed its search and retrieval operation in the first quadrant of the identified 300 meters x 186 meters search area in Taal Lake.

The PCG’s 49 technical divers have reportedly started its search in the second quadrant of the identified area.

Estomo wants apology from Totoy

Retired Lt. Gen. Jonnel Estomo denied he is a member of gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang’s “alpha group” and dared whistleblower Patidongan, alias Totoy, to issue a public apology for dragging his name in the kidnapping and disappearance of the missing sabungeros.

Estomo said he will pursue criminal complaints against Patidongan unless the whistleblower apologizes for insinuating that he is a member of the alpha group headed by Ang.

“He should recant all his statements saying that I was a member, I already gave a certificate that I am not a member of alpha group,” he told reporters in a phone interview yesterday.

Estomo showed a copy of a certification from Pitmaster Foundation Inc., where Ang sits as chairman, which stated the retired police general “is not in any way a trustee or an officer of the corporation nor connected to its business activities or operations.”

The certification, Estomo said, proves that he is not connected with Ang’s so-called alpha group.

In previous interviews with media outfits, Patidongan said that Ang told members of the alpha group the need to kill sabungeros who have cheated in their games to save their business from collapsing. He identified actress Gretchen Barretto as a prominent alpha member.

Estomo said Patidongan should do another round of interviews and clear his name. The retired police official maintained that in his 37 years in government service, he was never implicated in any murder case.

“If he really wanted his apology to be accepted, he should do another interview and take back his statement that I am a member of the alpha group, that I wanted to have him killed. He should complete his statements because his interview is lacking,” Estomo said in Filipino.

Estomo added that it is impossible for him to be involved in the abduction of the sabungeros as he was director of the Bicol police when the cases happened in 2021.

He also noted that the police officers who were implicated in the kidnapping and killing of an online cockfight agent in Laguna were all assigned in Calabarzon.

Asked if he is a close associate of Ang, Estomo said he only met the gaming tycoon once when he was director of the Bicol police. When he became NCRPO chief, he said he did not investigate the cases of the sabungeros as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was the one leading the probe. –  Evelyn Macairan, Emmanuel Tupas, Ed Amoroso, Daphne Galvez