The Philippine National Police Forensic Group (PNP-FG) on Wednesday released a photo of one of the six skeletal remains believed to be human, recovered from the ongoing search and retrieval operation in Taal Lake.
The bones are suspected to be connected to the case of the missing cockfighting enthusiasts, as whistleblower Julie "Dondon" Patidongan said that the remains of the victims were dumped in the fishpond in the said lake.
According to PNP-FG, six out of the 91 bone samples recently received at Camp Crame may possibly be human remains, particularly from the hip and lumbar regions.
In a report by RH Edniel Parrosa, PNPFG DNA Laboratory Division office-in-charge, PolGen. Edmar Dela Torre said that DNA testing is currently underway and is expected to take at least five to seven days for the initial analysis.
He further said that this will be followed by another five to seven-day period for cross-matching results, making the entire process span approximately two weeks.
Amid scrutiny from some experts, including well-known forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, over how skeletal remains were initially handled, particularly a viral image of bones stored in a black sack — the PNP-FG defended their methods.
He said that real-world scenarios often involve uncontrollable variables, but admitted that transferring remains to cleaner containers is a necessary procedure.
"Maraming pwedeng mangyari na hindi na po namin kontrol. So although hindi po kami ‘yung gumawa nun po sa mga ganyan pong scenario… hindi po namin makocontrol," Dela Torre stated.
Meanwhile, PNPFG Deputy Director for Administration Col. Francisco Supe Jr. explained that many of the skeletal remains had been submerged in water for a prolonged period, and some still needed to be cleaned of mud before testing.
As of now, DNA profiles from 18 relatives of the disappeared cockfighting enthusiasts have already been collected for comparison.
He also said that to confirm a match, the DNA extracted from the remains must match that of a first-degree descendant, either the parents or children of the missing individuals.
The PNP Forensic Group also allowed the media a brief look at their laboratory, where the DNA testing is taking place.
They emphasized that this case has now been marked a “priority” despite the volume of other cases the group is handling.
