PCG hopeful of finding more remains of missing 'sabungeros'

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) resumed on Friday morning, July 11, its search and retrieval operations at Taal Lake in Batangas in hopes of finding more remains of the 34 missing cockfighting enthusiasts (sabungeros).

- MARTIN SADONGDONG

On the first day of operations on Thursday, a white sack containing what appeared to be burned skeletal remains were recovered by authorities in the vicinity of Taal Lake in Batangas.

Three dive teams composed of 13 members were deployed to separate dive points approximately 52 to 72 feet away from the shoreline of Barangay Balakilong in Laurel town as early as 6 a.m. Friday.

The divers in the first wave reached depths ranging from 16 to 21.8 meters but found no human remains. A second dive was scheduled in the afternoon.

"One of the factors being considered is the weather. The earlier the dive operation can be conducted, the better, because the weather usually worsens and the current gets stronger in the afternoon," PCG spokesperson Captain Noemie Cayabyab said.