Navy SEALs, underwater drones to be used in search for missing sabungeros

The Philippine Navy will deploy Navy SEALs and underwater drones to search for the bodies of missing cockfight enthusiasts allegedly dumped in Taal Lake.  

Navy spokesman Capt. John Percy Alcos said authorities have already zeroed in on a location where the divers will be deployed after studying a justice department report on the missing sabungeros.

“Taal Lake ang isa sa pinakamalalim na lake sa Pilipinas. Ito ay may lalim na 170 to 200 meters. Merong volcanic activity dito kaya ang plano dito ng PH Navy….ay ise-send out muna namin 'yung aming unmanned drones para makita ang condition sa ilalim at last resort na ang pag-send ng ating technical divers,” Alcos said.

“Dahil may volcanic activity, we assumed na maraming sediments sa ilalim,” he added.

The Navy is sending 3 teams of technical divers - each team composed of 4 Navy Seals, 2 divers, a standby diver and a diving supervisor - for the retrieval operations.

The spokesman said technical divers can only dive around 100 meters “kaya pag mas malalim ang ginagamit na natin dito ay underwater drones.”

“Ang mga underwater drones ay may kapabilidad din na mag-attach ng mga contact point na pwedeng sila na rin ang mag-akyat kung anuman ang nais na i-ahon sa dagat. Beyond 100 meters, beyond human limitations na,” he said. 

A whistleblower earlier claimed more than 100 people were killed and their bodies dumped in the lake for allegedly cheating in multimillion-peso online sabong operations.

The Department of Justice earlier identified businessman Atong Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto as suspects in the case following the whistleblower's revelations.