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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Taal Lake horror: claims of 100 men drowned in murder plot turn Philippines fishing haven into crime scene
Taal Lake, the serene volcanic body of water south of Manila, is now the unlikely center of one of the Philippines' most disturbing murder mysteries. Whistle-blower Julie 'Dondon' Patidongan has claimed that as many as 100 men were murdered, their bodies strangled, stuffed in sacks, and dumped into the lake's depths, a chilling allegation that has gripped the nation and cast a shadow over the local fishing community. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category healthcare others Digital Marketing Technology Project Management Finance Operations Management Healthcare Design Thinking PGDM Others Public Policy Artificial Intelligence Leadership Product Management Cybersecurity CXO MCA MBA Data Science Data Science Management Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details Also read: Everything you need to know before exploring the islands of the Philippines by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Remember Him? Sit Down Before You See What He Looks Like Now 33 Bridges Undo Cockfighting, Filipino gambling tycoon exposed after 100 human-bones found under lake Patidongan's accusations, aimed at police allegedly working under gambling tycoon Charlie 'Atong' Ang, allege that dozens of missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts) were systematically killed and hidden beneath the volcanic waters near Laurel, Batangas. Live Events GPS view of Taal Lake's location in The Philippines. Since July 10, the Philippine Coast Guard has been pulling up sacks of 'suspicious objects' from the depths, using divers and submersible technology to scour the lake floor. Already, investigators have recovered bones they believe to be human, though critics online have accused authorities of planting evidence, using the sarcastic term 'tanim buto' or 'planted bones.' Despite the skepticism, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla insists the remains are genuine and says the investigation will continue despite dangerous conditions, including a volcanic eruption and Typhoon Wipha disrupting search efforts. Agencies Philippine police carry a sack believed to contain human remains after it was retrieved from Taal Lake near Laurel municipality, Batangas province, on Thursday. Photo: AFP Fish catch affected amid 'human-bone' controversy The lake itself, known for its prized tawilis sardines, has become a symbol of suspicion. Also read: US will build repair facilities for the Philippine navy near the disputed South China Sea As divers retrieve sacks believed to contain evidence of cold-blooded killings, demand for fish has plummeted, devastating local livelihoods and sparking fears of a 'state of calamity.' Authorities confirm that six of the 91 bones recovered so far appear human, a small number, but enough to keep forensic teams combing through evidence. Agencies Philippine coastguard officials show a map of their search and retrieval operations in Taal Lake on July 10. Photo: AFP Forensic experts stress that even a single bone confirms the lake holds more than anchors and fishing weights. 15 cops to bring about justice in 60 days, claims, official For local officials like Rafael Vicente Calinisan of Napolcom, whose family comes from the very area implicated, the case is personal. He's vowed swift justice within 60 days, with at least 15 police officers already under investigation. The case also dredges up painful memories of the extrajudicial killings during former President Duterte's drug war, fueling further outrage. Yet not everyone is convinced. Some officials, including Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, have made public shows of eating local fish to calm fears. — ralph_calinisan (@ralph_calinisan) Also read: AI fakes duel over Sara Duterte impeachment in Philippines Still, trust, like the lake's dark waters, remains murky. Until the investigation is complete, Taal Lake stands as both a crime scene and a symbol of how far the truth might be buried beneath the surface.
GMA Network
12 hours ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
Gov't offers free rides amid bad weather
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered the Department of Transportation and other agencies to offer free public transportation starting at 12 noon due to the heavy downpour and flooding, especially in Metro Manila. Commuters don't need to buy tickets or load their Beep cards when taking the train systems—MRT-3, LRT-1, and LRT-2. The Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Ports Authority were also ordered to deploy free bus and truck rides in the following routes: Quiapo to Angono, Rizal Quiapo to Fairview, Quezon City Lawton to Alabang, Muntinlupa City Malacañang suspended classes and work in government offices in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan at 1 p.m. State weather bureau PAGASA said earlier in the day that the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat will continue to bring rains over the country. Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Oriental Mindoro will have occasional rains. Floods or landslides are possible due to moderate to heavy rains. PAGASA also said that monsoon rains may persist in the coming days. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Taal Lake search for missing sabungeros resumes; local fishers take hit
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has resumed its search for the missing sabungeros in Taal Lake after operations were suspended due to inclement weather. According to Vonne Aquino's '24 Oras' report, PCG technical divers continued with the operations early Sunday but were forced to halt due to sudden downpour. They used a remotely-operating vehicle and an aerial drone to further inspect the search area but yielded no suspicious objects. The local government of Agoncillo, Batangas said the discovery of human remains in the lake—after whistleblower Julie "Dondon" Patidongan pointed to it as the site where the missing sabungeros' bodies were dumped—is affecting the small-scale fisherfolk in the municipality, with public fear driving down demand for tawilis. 'Halos 40% ang binaba ng harvest ng tawilis. Kung konti ang demand, konti rin ang magiging supply,' said Mayor Cinderella Reyes. (The harvest went down by almost 40%. If there is less supply, then there is less demand.) In the town of Talisay, Batangas, fewer fish vendors are selling tawilis, increasing the prices from P80 per kilo to P100 per kilo. Municipal administrator Alfredo Anciato said they are mulling declaring a state of calamity to extend assistance to the affected fishers. 'Sa ngayon, kinukuha namin ang lahat ng data through our municipal agriculture office. Tinatanong namin ang stakeholders kung ano ang epekto sa aming maliliit na mangingisda,' Anciato added. (We are now gathering all data through our municipal agriculture office. We are also asking our stakeholders of the effect to the fisherfolks.) Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, for her part, took to social media to allay fears and to show the public it is safe to consume tawilis. 'Tawilis. Okay. Nothing to worry. With all these issues about our Taal, nothing to worry. Ang Tawilis ay non-carnivorous. Di kumakain ng laman, usually halaman ang kinakain nito,' said Santos. (Nothing to worry. With all these issues about our Taal, nothing to worry. Tawilis are non-carnivorous and they eat plants.) Meanwhile, the Agoncillo municipal government said it is also eyeing the declaration of a state of calamity to repair roads affected by the recent typhoons. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News
The Star
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Star
‘Crising,' ‘habagat' spell woes for Luzon, Visayas
MANILA: Numerous areas mainly in Luzon and the Visayas were battered by heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm 'Crising' on Friday (July 18), some already reeling from the effects of the southwest monsoon ('habagat') since Wednesday (July 16), leaving at least two persons dead and displacing thousands of families. Nonstop rains also forced the suspension of classes and government and business operations in cities and towns, and prompted some local governments to place their areas in a state of calamity. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Crising disrupted the operations of at least 37 ports nationwide, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, mostly in Eastern Visayas. At least three fishermen were reported missing, one each in Negros Occidental, Palawan and Southern Leyte, while landslides and overflowing rivers stranded vehicles in different routes in the provinces. In Camarines Sur, brothers Christian Benlayo, 36, and Freddy Mar, 33, were riding a motorcycle when a large acacia tree collapsed and fell upon them as they were traveling along the Gov. Fuentebella Highway in Barangay New Moriones of Ocampo town at noon on Friday. Both died on the spot, according to Police Maj. Bernardo Peñero, chief of Ocampo police. Halted classes, port incidents Crising was last spotted 195 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 80 kph while moving northwest at 20 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. In Cebu City, the economic center of the Visayas, most of the urban barangays were flooded since Wednesday, causing suspension of classes, work and business operations. The city's disaster risk reduction management office (DRRMO) recommended placing the locality under a state of calamity. In Bohol, the capital city of Tagbilaran and 35 of its 47 towns were flooded, leading to suspension of classes on Friday, the province's DRMMO reported. Classes were also suspended in many localities in the Luzon provinces of Albay, Catanduanes, Quezon, Zambales, Cagayan, Isabela, Palawan and Occidental Mindoro. In Calbayog City, Samar, two cargo vessels—MV Vinh Quang, a Vietnamese-flagged bulk carrier, and MV Poseidon 52, a Philippine-flagged general cargo ship—collided at Manguinoo Port around 8am on Friday as the vessels were being whipped by strong winds. The PCG in Calbayog reported that the anchored MV Vinh Quang was struck by MV Poseidon 52 while it maneuvered to dock at the port. No injuries or oil spills were reported, and both vessels remained stable, the PCG said. In Catanduanes, a barge ran aground in Virac town. The Barge Premium Portland 2, operated by Navi Shipping Company, was anchored near the Virac Port when bad weather broke its anchor, causing the vessel to drift toward the shoreline in Barangay San Vicente at around 4am. PCG personnel deployed to the area reported 'no oil spill or pollution.' Evacuations In Negros Occidental, 6,818 residents who evacuated in 13 towns and cities as of Friday morning as heavy rains continued to flood low-lying areas. The number of evacuees were expected to increase with more still being rescued, said Irene Bel Ploteña, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD). The PDMPD said a motorised banca, discovered adrift off the coast of Sagay City on Friday, has been identified to belong to a 30-year-old fisherman from the city who had been missing since early Thursday while a landslide in La Castellana town rendered the road leading to Canlaon City in Negros Oriental impassable. Search for food Despite the heavy downpour, some residents in Isabela pressed on with their daily routines in search of food. In Ilagan City's Baculod village, 35-year-old housekeeper Josephine Delleza said she ventured out to the Pinacanauan River amid the inclement weather to catch fish for her family. 'We only caught small ones, but it's enough for a meal,' she said in Filipino. Along the Cagayan River, fishermen Jonathan Suyu, 24, and Efren Manalo, 59, also tried their luck but came home nearly empty-handed. 'The river's water level keeps rising, making it difficult to fish,' Suyu shared. Officials at Magat Dam, located on the Magat River, which is a major tributary of the Cagayan River, deferred a scheduled water release due to minimal rainfall in its watershed areas in Isabela and Ifugao. To maintain order and safety during the storm, local governments in Isabela and Cagayan, including Tuguegarao City, implemented a liquor ban, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol in public. To maintain order and safety during the storm, local governments in Isabela and Cagayan, including Tuguegarao City, implemented a liquor ban, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol in public. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
Barge runs aground in Catanduanes amid rough seas
A barge with three crew members on board ran aground at the shoreline of Catanduanes due to rough seas, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Saturday. According a report by Christian Maño on Super Radyo dzBB, the PCG said the barge was anchored at sea when strong waves started pounding the vessel. Coast guard personnel have been deployed to the area to assess the barge's condition. Initial investigation showed that the incident did not cause an oil spill or environmental pollution. Onsite photos show that the cargo ship bore the name Premium Portland-2. In a Facebook post, the PCG said inclement weather on July 18 caused the barge's anchor line to break. The vessel then started to drift "uncontrollably." The effects of Tropical Storm Crising and the southwest monsoon or habagat have been causing heavy rains these past days. According to the 5 a.m. bulletin of weather service PAGASA, the southwest monsoon was expected to bring heavy rains over the Bicol Region, including Catanduanes. Sea travel was assessed as "risky for all types or tonnage of vessels." Seafarers were advised to stay at port, or seek safe harbor until waves and winds subside. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
