Jamaine Punzalan

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard navigate the waters of Taal Lake in Talisay, Batangas, on Thursday, July 10, 2025, as the multi-agency search begins for the missing 'sabungeros.' Divers are focusing on areas identified as possible dumping sites, including a fishpond area dubbed 'ground zero,' based on witness testimonies.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

Adrian Ayalin

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-video fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><video class="fr-draggable" controls="" src="blob:https://od2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com/71ed0499-c4f1-4017-baab-3026a806f6be" style="width:960px">Your browser does not support HTML5 video.</video></span></div><p>MANILA — Government <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/25/pcg-divers-prep-for-retrieval-of-missing-sabungeros-in-taal-lake-1438">divers</a> on Thursday are set to begin their preliminary search for the &quot;missing sabungeros,&quot; who, according to a whistleblower, were executed and dumped in Taal Lake in Batangas.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/6/wrap-flurry-of-allegations-revives-dormant-missing-sabungeros-case-2204">Flurry of allegations revives dormant ‘missing sabungeros’ case</a></div><p>The Philippine Coast Guard, the Department of Justice, and the Philippine National Police will lead the underwater retrieval operation to find the remains of the cockfight gamers.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:528px;height:297px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1943104194090799384&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-07-10T02%3A12%3A41.038757%3A854127fe-4dae-47f8-b820-c90d9448ed4c%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=0a6e02ff9af913182bcf76253e3ba89a5b781604&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1943104194090799384"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>PCG spokesperson Captain Noemie Guirao-Cayabyab earlier said the operation would be the first of its kind in Taal Lake, noting both the depth and breadth of the lake as major challenges.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/9/gretchen-barretto-camp-questions-whistleblower-totoy-s-credibility-in-missing-sabungeros-case-1134">Gretchen Barretto camp questions whistleblower&#x27;s credibility in missing sabungeros case</a></div><p>According to Julie &quot;Dondon&quot; Patidongan alias &quot;Totoy,&quot; more than 100 people have gone missing or were killed in connection with illegal gambling operations, including jueteng.</p><p>He said the victims were killed after they were caught cheating in the cockfighting games.</p><p>Patidongan has linked businessman Atong Ang to the killings, saying the </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/4/philippines-asks-japan-s-help-searching-lake-for-missing-cockfighters-1613">Philippines asks Japan&#x27;s help searching lake for missing cockfighters</a></div><p>businessman did not want cheating to mar the cockfighting operations.</p><p>Ang has denied all allegations.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VUWBoY1cP6g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Search teams arrived Thursday at Taal Lake in Batangas to look for dozens of cockfighters allegedly murdered by rogue police.</p>

Search teams arrived Thursday at Taal Lake in Batangas to look for dozens of cockfighters allegedly murdered by rogue police.

Search for missing sabungeros begins at Taal Lake

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Search for missing sabungeros begins at Taal Lake

Rowegie Abanto,

Adrian Ayalin,

David Dizon,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published Jul 10, 2025 09:51 AM PHT

|

Updated Jul 10, 2025 02:57 PM PHT

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