The Philippine National Police (PNP) have begun visiting numerous sites where the bodies of the missing “sabungeros” or cockfighters may have been disposed of this week, in preparation for search and retrieval operations.
In an ambush interview, PNP Chief PGEN Nicolas Torre III revealed that his men have inspected spots in Batangas, Laguna, as well as in Metro Manila, although he withheld details on how many places they have gone to and what their visits have yielded.
The top cop previously raised the possibility that the remains of the 34 missing cockfighters were not thrown into the Taal Lake only. Like the Department of Justice (DOJ), the PNP is not limiting their investigation to information provided by key witness alias “Totoy” or Julie Patidongan.
Torre also said the police were ready to conduct search and retrieval operations for the victims’ remains. However, he admitted that several factors should be considered, like the inclement weather and the conditions of the operational environment.
Meanwhile, National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Vice Chairperson Rafael Calinisan said they have received “deep” revelations from “many” informants.
Describing them as case “feelers” for the police, he praised their reports as impressive and substantial. Calinisan expects they will be able to produce affidavits.
Patidongan is currently under the protective custody of the PNP, whereas the 15 policemen implicated in the case have been placed under restrictive custody.
