PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III has expressed willingness to lead the search for the remains of the missing cockfighting enthusiasts, locally known as sabungeros, PNP spokesperson and Police Regional Office-Central Luzon director Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said Thursday, June 19, 2025.
In an interview, Fajardo said the PNP urged one of the accused in the disappearance of the sabungeros to come forward and provide information that would be helpful to the case.
“Sana pagtiwalaan nila ‘yung kanilang pambansang pulisya dahil tayo naman talaga ang nagsampa ng mga kasong ito, tayo ang nagsimula diyan particularly ‘yung CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group), inipon yang pamilya ng mga missing sabungeros at makikipagtulungan ang PNP lalong lalo sa DOJ (Department of Justice) na matagal natin kasama dito sa mga kasong naisampa na before,” she said.
(We hope they trust their national police because we were the ones who filed these cases, we started that -- particularly the CIDG, which gathered the families of the missing sabungeros -- and the PNP will continue to coordinate especially with the DOJ, which has long been involved in these filed cases.)
In a television interview, the accused-turned-whistleblower said the remains of the 34 missing sabungeros were thrown into Taal Lake in Batangas.
He admitted involvement in the abduction of the victims several years ago.
The whistleblower said he chose to speak up due to threats he has been receiving after they were granted temporary freedom by the court.
He said he is willing to reveal everything he knows about the case, especially those behind the killings of the sabungeros who were accused of cheating.
“Ang PNP, especially ang chief PNP, ay willing na siya mismo ang pumunta doon at alamin kung saan ba ‘yung eksaktong sinasabi niya kasi kung sinasabi niya na napin-point niya na sa Taal Lake itong sinasabing pinaglibingan or pinagdalhan nitong mga missing sabungeros, it will be a challenge. Alam natin napakalalim niya at kailangan natin ng mga divers, siguro para kung kukuhanin yan at dadaan sa proseso yan kasi ilang taon na ang lumipas,” said Fajardo.
(The PNP, especially the PNP chief, is willing to personally go there and find out exactly where he’s referring to—because if he’s saying he has pinpointed the burial or disposal site of the missing sabungeros in Taal Lake, it will be a challenge. We know it’s very deep, and we will likely need divers to retrieve anything, and it has to go through a process since several years have already passed.)
Fajardo said the PNP is willing to provide security assistance to the whistleblower.
In 2022, the Senate conducted a motu proprio investigation into the rising number of sabungeros reported missing by the PNP. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)