Search for missing cockfighters begins at lake in murder probe
Search teams arrived at a lake south of the capital Manila to look for dozens of cockfighters allegedly murdered by rogue police, the Justice Department said.
Fifteen police officers are under investigation over a spate of mysterious disappearances in 2022 in the cockfighting industry.
The case went back into the public eye last month with the televised appearance of a witness claiming to know where bodies had been submerged in Lake Taal.
Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla has since said that he has 'multiple witnesses' who can identify the location of the missing in the lake, which spans more than 230sqm.
'The purpose of (yesterday's mission) is to ... identify the area covered by the search, see initial water conditions and to measure the depth of covered area,' the department said in a statement.
The Philippine Coast Guard will participate in the preliminary assessment alongside police.
National Police Chief Nicolas Torre this week said authorities needed to act swiftly.
'The typhoon season is coming in,' he told journalists on Tuesday.
'We are moving fast to at least try to locate the bodies. We know that it is very, very challenging.'
Remulla said he had requested technical assistance from Japan including help with mapping the lake bed, parts of which are as deep as 172m.
The Japanese embassy in Manila said it had received the request without providing further details.
But Torre believes the Philippines had the necessary equipment on hand to begin the search.
Some wager millions of dollars on matches weekly between roosters who fight with razor-sharp metal spurs tied to their legs.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte banned the livestreaming of cockfights shortly before leaving office in 2022, but it has continued due to lax enforcement. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Ukrainian farmers live in fear as fighting nears their fields
GAZING out at his vast, sun-drenched field of wheat in eastern Ukraine, farmer Sergii Dozhenko is nervous. "Each year, the front line gets closer," he said. "I'm scared." One year ago, he said, it was some 60km away. Russian forces have closed in half that distance since. What's more, their drones have in recent weeks killed farmers across his central region of Dnipropetrovsk which has largely been spared fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine. Following months of clashes, Russian troops claimed to have captured three villages in the region last month — a first in nearly 3½ years of war. Ukraine has denied those claims, but Sergii is still constantly scanning the sky for Russian explosive drones. "Fields are burning. People are fleeing, leaving behind barren land," he said. To counter the advances, Kyiv is building defensive lines further westwards, and parts of Sergii's land have been dug up for trenches and lined with barbed wire. "This might be the last year we harvest here... It will probably be the last," he said. In Mezhova, a garrison town close to the fighting, Ukrainian soldiers reject Russia's claim of having captured the village of Dachne. They said the troops only entered before being driven out. "Russians love symbols. They send soldiers to die just to plant a flag," said Andrii, a regiment commander, who declined to give his last name. But few civilians venture south of the town onto a road that leads to the battles some 12km away. Sitting on a bench, pensioners Olga and Zoya watched a cloud of black smoke rising above a charred field — another farmer targeted by a drone. A week earlier, one of their friends was killed the same way, they said. Olga, 71, said the situation worsened early last month when Moscow reached the region's border. Zoya, who like Olga declined to give her last name, said she was reluctantly planning to evacuate but did not want to leave behind her cow, Lypka. "I don't know how much time I have left," she said, breaking into tears. "Not enough to see Ukraine's victory." A large centre for displaced people 80km away is now always full. AFP reporters saw evacuees being dropped off in vans. Their suitcases, plastic bags and pets piled up. Some were crying on the phone, others had a vacant stare. Among them were some who had already fled their homes further east and are now forced to move again. Local authorities said in several villages threatened by Russian advances, 2,628 people — including 212 children — were evacuated over June and July. Alla Ryabtseva, a 57-year-old coordinator at the centre who is herself a displaced person from eastern Ukraine, said these people had no hesitation about moving again. "They have already experienced fear and understand the danger." She said the first large wave of displaced people arrived at the centre in early June as fighting intensified near the region and the authorities issued evacuation orders. The Kremlin has already laid claim to five regions of Ukraine — an annexation not recognised by the international community. Dnipropetrovsk would be a sixth. At a Pavlograd hospital, Natan, a psychiatrist, said people living in the region were suffering from "anxiety, excessive worry, insomnia". Above all, he said, there was a "fear of not knowing what will happen next — whether to stay or leave". Even though there is daily anxiety from air strikes "when reports say our troops have pushed back the Russians, people become more calm", said the 44-year-old doctor, who declined to give his last name. In the hospital corridors, men with drawn faces waited outside the office of Marina Huebner, head of the rehabilitation department. "The front is getting closer. There are bombings, sleepless nights," she said. The hospital is the last before the front line and it sends out medical teams closer to combat areas to help stranded civilians. "We are essentially like a fortress here, on the first line," said Huebner.
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
After NFA decision, mum mulls civil action over toddler's injuries
Nur Syaza Syamimi said she noticed the bruises when bathing her daughter, before seeking treatment for her child. PETALING JAYA : A mother is considering civil action against a daycare centre in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, after her two-year-old was found with bruises on her back in January. Nur Syaza Syamimi, 28, said she has been waiting for the outcome of the police investigation into the incident on Jan 17, but was recently informed that the case had been classified as requiring no further action (NFA). She is now seeking legal advice and plans to take civil action. 'I don't want my child or other children to be in danger again. If criminal law fails to help, I will seek justice through other channels,' she told FMT. Syaza claimed the centre failed to hand over CCTV recordings from its premises with the excuse that the CCTVs had been damaged following a thunderstorm. 'Strangely enough, recordings from before the day of the incident are still available. Only recordings from the day of the incident are unavailable,' she said. She previously took to Facebook to express dismay over the police's decision to classify the case as NFA, sharing pictures of the bruise marks on her daughter's back. She said she noticed the bruises when bathing her daughter, and sought treatment at two healthcare facilities, including Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru. The hospital confirmed the injuries were not caused by allergies or skin disease but were consistent with being hit or falling on an object. 'I lodged a police report, informed the social welfare department (JKM), and submitted a full medical report. But, in the end, I was told the case was closed due to insufficient evidence and lack of witnesses,' she said. Syaza and her husband, Mohamad Syazwin, 29, were dissatisfied with how the case was handled, especially in how they had to pester the police for updates. 'I had to WhatsApp the investigating officer almost every day just to get the letter on my daughter's case decision,' she said, adding that she only learned the case had been classified as NFA after asking the officer for updates. In a statement, Iskandar Puteri police chief M Kumarasan confirmed that the case was investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for child abuse, ill-treatment, abandonment or neglect. He said the investigation paper was opened after a police report was filed on Jan 19, and was referred to the deputy public prosecutor, resulting in the NFA because of insufficient evidence.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Prince Harry cleared of bullying claims in African charity dispute
LONDON: The UK charity watchdog has cleared Prince Harry of bullying allegations linked to his African charity, Sentebale. The dispute erupted earlier this year when chairperson Sophie Chandauka accused the Duke of Sussex of misconduct. The Charity Commission found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment after a months-long investigation. However, it criticised the public nature of the conflict, calling it damaging to the charity's reputation. Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho resigned in March after trustees quit over Chandauka's refusal to step down. Sentebale, founded in 2006, supports young people with HIV and AIDS in southern Africa. The commission noted governance weaknesses and issued an improvement plan. Sentebale welcomed the findings, while Chandauka said they confirmed her earlier concerns about mismanagement. Harry previously called the accusations 'heartbreaking' and denied any wrongdoing. The dispute added to his challenges since stepping back from royal duties in 2020. The charity's name, Sentebale, honours Princess Diana and means 'forget me not' in Sesotho. Chandauka reaffirmed commitment to the founders' vision despite recent tensions. - AFP
