Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

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 continues 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)

TAAL

Jessie Cruzat

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175256634424120250710-taal-lake-ph-coast-guard-sabungeros-MT01.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">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 continues for the missing &#x27;sabungeros.&#x27; Divers are focusing on areas identified as possible dumping sites, including a fishpond area dubbed &#x27;ground zero,&#x27; based on witness testimonies.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group confirmed on Tuesday that 6 out of the 91 bone samples from the search operation in Taal Lake are, most likely, human remains, based on their morphology or shape and structure.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/13/sacks-of-bones-found-in-taal-lake-weighed-down-with-rocks-pcg-1257">Sacks of bones found in Taal Lake weighed down with rocks — PCG</a></div><p>&quot;Anim po yung suspected na human remains, bones, doon out of 91 [bone samples found in Taal Lake],&quot; according to Lt. Col. Edmar Dela Torre, officer-in-charge of the PNP&#x27;s DNA Laboratory Division.</p><div><br/></div><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-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1945024912370082259&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fsearch&amp;sessionId=4a6ec3d866b40e94a85685c5664c710697d2304f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:516px;height:290px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1945024912370082259"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>However, it would take 5 to 7 days to generate initial findings from DNA processing. </p><p>Another 5 to 7 days will be needed to cross-match these with DNA samples submitted by 18 family members of the missing sabungeros, he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/7/14/-sacks-of-sabungero-bones-planted-pcg-reacts-1457">&#x27;Sacks of sabungero bones&#x27; planted? PCG reacts</a></div><p>&quot;Ninety-one samples ang submitted for DNA samples, we&#x27;re gonna sort out kung ano ang pwede i-examine and those beyond examination,&quot; Dela Torre said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/14/human-bones-found-in-taal-in-missing-sabungeros-search-pnp-1059">Human bones found in Taal in missing sabungeros search: PNP</a></div><p>He said the 6 &quot;suspected&quot; human bones would be prioritized for DNA examination.</p><p>PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Monday confirmed both human and animal remains were found in Taal Lake.</p><div><em>More details to follow. </em></div><div><br/></div><div><em></em><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><em></em><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/RWNhZlMLxiU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The PNP Forensic Group confirmed on Tuesday that 6 out of the 91 bone samples from the search operation in Taal Lake are, most likely, human remains, based on their morphology or shape and structure.</p>

The PNP Forensic Group confirmed on Tuesday that 6 out of the 91 bone samples from the search operation in Taal Lake are, most likely, human remains, based on their morphology or shape and structure.

6 'suspected' human bones from Taal Lake prioritized for DNA testing: PNP forensics group

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6 'suspected' human bones from Taal Lake prioritized for DNA testing: PNP forensics group

Jessie Cruzat,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 15, 2025 04:03 PM PHT

|

Updated July 15, 2025 04:06 PM PHT

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Taal

Taal Lake

missing sabungeros

crime

human bones

DNA

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