No DNA extracted from bones recovered in Taal Lake — PNP
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said no DNA profiles could be extracted from the bone fragments found in Taal Lake in Batangas during the search for the missing sabungeros.
PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo said on Thursday, July 31, that the bone fragments recovered from the lakebed had been submerged for a long time, which likely led to their contamination.
“However po mga possible human remains sa Taal Lake medyo ang challenge doon dahil matagal na nga nakasubmerge ay medyo wala na tayong na-extract accordingly na DNA profile doon sa matagal na naka-submerge parang contaminated na po,” Fajardo said.
(However, regarding the possible human remains in Taal Lake, the challenge there is that because they have been submerged for a long time, we were unable to extract a DNA profile; accordingly, it seems they are already contaminated.)
Authorities started the search for the missing cockfight enthusiasts on July 10 after self-proclaimed whistleblower Julie "Dondon" Patidongan revealed that they were thrown into Taal Lake after being executed.
Since the search commenced, at least 91 bone fragments have been recovered from the five sacks.
On July 30, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the authorities have found a skull, along with other remains that resemble a human, in Taal Lake.
However, it has yet to be examined at the PNP Crime Lab.
Cemetery cadaver. Fajardo also said that three DNA profiles were successfully extracted from remains recovered at a cemetery in Laurel, Batangas.
According to the PNP spokesperson, two of the DNA profiles belong to males, while the third is from a female.
However, none of the three DNA samples matched any of the 23 samples submitted by the families of the missing cockfight enthusiasts.
The bodies in question were discovered on July 16 and are believed to be connected to the missing cockfighters, according to reports.
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