Unidentified remains found in Taal Lake amid missing cockfighters search

Despite the recovered sack of bones and personal belongings in the ongoing search for missing cockfighters, where the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has formally begun diving in Taal Lake, Province of Batangas, no clear identification has been made yet for the remains found.

On Nov. 6, 25 pieces of human skeletal remains were collected, six were recovered on November 17, and 26 more were collected on November 18.

According to the DOJ Atty. Polo Martinez, the investigation and dive operations had been suspended due to recent typhoons and volcanic conditions in the area, but have now resumed.

Martinez also emphasized that the bones discovered on Nov. 17 included several items, such as black pants with a black belt, white underwear, and a single “cut wheat flour cloth.”

Additionally, the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed that all collected items have been handed over to Crime Scene investigators for analysis.

Then the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that approximately 887 human bones had been recovered from the base of the Taal Lake.

Extracting all the items will take time because bones are dense, hard, and calcified organs that form the skeletons of organisms.

Traditional approaches have been widely used but are often limited by low yields and the potential for DNA contamination and degradation.

Various extraction methods have been developed and refined to focus on the yield and purity of DNA from hard tissues, especially in old and highly degraded samples.

One such advanced method is silica-based spin columns, which enhance DNA recovery by selectively binding nucleic acids and removing impurities.

Further the total demineralization, where the entire mineral content of the bone is dissolved, has been developed to maximize DNA recovery, particularly when dealing with small or compromised samples.

The search began after whistleblower Julie “Dondon” Patidongan first complained on July 10 that more than 100 cockfighters had been kidnapped, killed, and dumped in the lake.

Patidongan then later claimed that businessman Atong Ang, Claudine Barretto, an ex-judge, a former local government official, and several police officers were also involved in the case.