Human bones are in the search for dozens of people allegedly killed by dishonest police officers

The search teams began to tour a lake south of the capital of Filipina Manila on Thursday by dozens of The participants of the rooster fights allegedly murdered by Rogue police.

Only a few hours later, the Department of Justice issued a statement by saying that a plastic bag containing what seemed to be “burned human bones” had been recovered from the Taal Lake.

“This discovery could represent a significant advance in ongoing investigation,” said the department, adding a forensic exam and DNA tests were needed before conclusions could be drawn.

Fifteen police officers are under investigation into a series of mysterious disappearances in 2022 in the huge rooster fighting industry of the country.

The case exploded in the public consciousness last month with the televised appearance of a witness who claims to know where the bodies had been submerged in Lake Taal.

Up to 100 people were killed for their alleged participation in setting parties, killed by the Police Police for an online rooster fight operator, according to the witness Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, who spoke with the GMA station.

Since then, the Secretary of Justice Crispin Remulla has said that “multiple witnesses” could identify the location of those who disappear in the lake, which covers approximately 89 square miles.

The department spokesman, Dominic Clavano, said Thursday that the preliminary inspection of the Coast Guard and the Police intended to lay the foundations for future dives.

But hours after he concluded, the Department of Justice said the search engines had found the bag that contained what seemed to be human bones.

While the initial probe was made away from the coast, the local media reported that the bag was discovered 10 meters (33 feet) from the coast.

Filipinos from all areas of life bets on millions of dollars in matches every week among the roosters that fight to death with sharp metal spurs tied to their legs.

“We are not the only victims here”

Charlene Lasco, whose missing brother Ricardo was an agent of roosted fights broadcast live, said the priority for victims families was to be able to leave their loved ones to rest.

“We are happy that (the government) is doing everything possible to locate (the bodies) and resolve this case,” he said at the National Police headquarters in Manila. “We are not the only victims here.”

The National Police Chief Nicolas Torre said this week that the authorities had to act quickly.

“The Typhon season is coming,” journalists told Tuesday. “We are moving quickly to at least try to locate the bodies. We know that it is very, very challenging.”

The Minister of Justice said Friday that he had requested technical assistance from Japan, including help with the mapping of the Lake bed, of which they are as deep as 172 meters.

The Japan Embassy in Manila told News that he had received the application without providing more details.

But Torre believes that the Philippines had the necessary equipment to start the search.

“We have a very, very robust ship industry here and in other parts of the Philippines, so we can do it,” he said.

The fighting fights, prohibited in many other countries, survived the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic connecting online, attracting many more players who use their mobile phones to place bets.

An investigation by the 2022 Senate revealed that daily bets in the online roosters had a level of $ 52.4 million, the BBC reported. But after the men disappeared, the transmitted fights were subject to scrutiny and former President Rodrigo Duterte finally prohibited them, according to the BBC.

In 2020, a police officer in the Philippines was killed during a raid In an illegal rooster fight after the leaf of a rooster cut its femoral artery.

Gallos fighting operations have also recently headed in the United States.

Last month, more than 40 people were arrested after a The fighting ring broke In southern Florida.

Earl this year, Hundreds of birds They were sacrificed after a joint investigation led to their seizure of an alleged fighting operation in Kansas.

• Murder
• Philippines
• Cockfight