EDITORIAL — A step forward?

There is some development in the case regarding the missing sabungeros in Luzon.

Last week, 57 additional skeletal remains were recovered in Taal Lake, off Talisay town, Batangas, where a witness said many of the missing cockfight enthusiasts, who disappeared between 2021 and 2022, were dumped.

Among those found were six bone fragments along with personal belongings, including black pants, a belt, white underwear, and a piece of cut wheat-flour cloth.

And just yesterday, three more suspected human bones were recovered.

It’s sad to see one of the most beautiful places in the country, Taal Lake, become synonymous with this infamous case. We can at least humor the dead by saying that they were buried where there was a good view and not just dumped somewhere nondescript.

Pending further verification of the identities of those remains --if they are really human remains to begin with-- the evidence in this case would seem to be building up.

The search for evidence in this case and in that particular area in Taal Lake keeps getting slowed down by adverse weather, but weather may not be the only thing dragging this case.

The problem with justice in this country is that not only is it slow, it seems to be out of reach for the poor and only available to the rich or famous. On the other hand, justice only seems to come for those who don’t have the power and the influence, and those with power and influence can get away with anything.

Don’t look now, but we are starting to see this happening in another case that has grabbed national attention and outrage lately; those who are powerless are being arrested and charged, those who are well-connected get away scot-free.

Hopefully this latest development will move the case of the missing cockfighting aficionados forward. The families and loved ones of those missing have been waiting for a long time for any development in this case.