Latest news with #TaalLake
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Authorities Searching Volcanic Lake for 34 Missing Gamblers as Suspect Hints it Contains Over 100 Bodies
Authorities in the Philippines are searching for 34 missing men, who were accused of cheating while betting on livestreamed cockfights during the COVID pandemic It's believed that the men were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake called Taal Lake by a group of six security guards One of the suspects has come forward to give an interview, claiming that they killed and disposed of more than 100 bodiesAuthorities are searching for 34 men who have gone missing amid allegations that they cheated while betting on cockfights in Manila, Philippines. The search is pointing toward Taal Lake, a volcanic lake, where it is believed that the men's bodies might have been disposed of, according to reporting by the BBC. Now, a suspect involved in the case is hinting that authorities will find even more victims. Per local outlet Philstar, the men went missing between April 2021 and January 2022. The outlet noted that "at least 10" of the missing men were last seen at the Manila Arena, where a group of six security guards that have become chief suspects worked. It's claimed that the men took part in fixing livestreamed cockfights, known as e-sabong, which became popular during the COVID pandemic. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Cockfighting is legal in the Philippines. While some industries suffered amid the pandemic, the BBC reported that turning online to livestream fights opened up an even greater revenue source in the business. Amid news of the disappearing gamblers, the livestreamed version of cockfighting has since been banned. Six security guards have been accused of kidnapping the men, with one of them coming forward to speak out, according to local outlet The suspect, identified under the alias "Totoy," implied the men were strangled to death with a wire before they were disposed of during a recent interview on GMA News, per the outlet. 'How can they survive when they were already buried in Taal Lake?' Totoy asked during the interview, which was conducted in Filipino. 'All of them. If we dig them up, it's just bones. How can we recognize them?" Totoy hinted that authorities would uncover the bodies of more than 100 victims if they searched, saying, "And it's not just missing cockfighting enthusiasts who are being thrown there, even drug lords." The suspect, who came forward amid alleged threats against him and other loved ones, vowed to "cooperate" with "the mothers and relatives" of the missing, saying that he would help in "the pursuit of justice." Per the outlet, he alleged that the men were bound after they were taken. He said he was responsible for talking to people who were accused of cheating. After that, "another group of persons" took charge. Totoy expressed surprise at how many men they were targeting in a brief period of time, alleging that he expressed concerns about the speed. Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told the press on Thursday, June 19 that divers would be deployed in the Taal Lake, which encompasses an active volcano, to search for human remains, according to the BBC. "We can't just let it pass and just let it go. We have to be responsible enough to seek the truth especially in cases like this," he said. Following the revelation, Remulla also said that they would search for additional witnesses who might be able to corroborate the allegations. Philstar reported that five witnesses had already been spoken to. Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos told the press on Friday, June 20, per Philstar, that the organization was "ready to help any agency of the government for the safety and welfare of Filipinos." However, he added that the navy has not yet been drawn into the seach. "Likely, once there's a notice from other government agencies in this particular case, we will refer this to the Naval Special Operations Command because that's where we have our technical divers," he said. PEOPLE has contacted the Philippine National Police and Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Search for 34 missing cockfighting gamblers points to volcanic lake
Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men - who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches - disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting - where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to their feet - is a multi-million dollar industry in the Philippines. The men are accused of being involved in livestreamed cockfights, which were popularised during the Covid pandemic when in-person matches were forced to shut. But this made the industry even more lucrative, generating some 620 million pesos ($10.8m; £8m) a month in licence earnings for the government. A 2022 Senate investigation also revealed that daily bets on online cockfights ran up to 3 billion pesos ($52.4m; £38.8m). But after the disappearance of the men, the livestreamed fights - known locally as "e-sabong" - came under scrutiny and then president Rodrigo Duterte eventually banned them. Traditional cockfighting is still legal in the Philippines. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters that authorities would look into deploying divers to look for human remains under the lake. "We can't just let it pass and just let it go. We have to be responsible enough to seek the truth especially in cases like this," he said. Remulla also added that authorities would look into the new development, adding that they are looking into finding more witnesesses. Gambling is legal in predominantly Catholic Philippines even though church leaders are against it in all its forms. Some online gambling operations have also been linked to criminal operations. Last year, Filipino authorities uncovered massive scam centres and human trafficking rings hiding behind online casinos that serve mainland Chinese clients. This led President Ferdinand Marcos to outlaw the online casinos known as Pogos or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Search for 34 missing cockfighting gamblers points to volcanic lake
Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men - who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches - disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting - where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to their feet - is a multi-million dollar industry in the Philippines. The men are accused of being involved in livestreamed cockfights, which were popularised during the Covid pandemic when in-person matches were forced to shut. But this made the industry even more lucrative, generating some 620 million pesos ($10.8m; £8m) a month in licence earnings for the government. A 2022 Senate investigation also revealed that daily bets on online cockfights ran up to 3 billion pesos ($52.4m; £38.8m). But after the disappearance of the men, the livestreamed fights - known locally as "e-sabong" - came under scrutiny and then president Rodrigo Duterte eventually banned them. Traditional cockfighting is still legal in the Philippines. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters that authorities would look into deploying divers to look for human remains under the lake. "We can't just let it pass and just let it go. We have to be responsible enough to seek the truth especially in cases like this," he said. Remulla also added that authorities would look into the new development, adding that they are looking into finding more witnesesses. Gambling is legal in predominantly Catholic Philippines even though church leaders are against it in all its forms. Some online gambling operations have also been linked to criminal operations. Last year, Filipino authorities uncovered massive scam centres and human trafficking rings hiding behind online casinos that serve mainland Chinese clients. This led President Ferdinand Marcos to outlaw the online casinos known as Pogos or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Philippines cockfighting: Search for 34 missing gamblers points to Taal lake
Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men - who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches - disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting - where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to their feet - is a multi-million dollar industry in the Philippines. The men are accused of being involved in livestreamed cockfights, which were popularised during the Covid pandemic when in-person matches were forced to shut. But this made the industry even more lucrative, generating some 620 million pesos ($10.8m; £8m) a month in licence earnings for the government. A 2022 Senate investigation also revealed that daily bets on online cockfights ran up to 3 billion pesos ($52.4m; £38.8m).But after the disappearance of the men, the livestreamed fights - known locally as "e-sabong" - came under scrutiny and then president Rodrigo Duterte eventually banned them. Traditional cockfighting is still legal in the Philippines. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters that authorities would look into deploying divers to look for human remains under the lake. "We can't just let it pass and just let it go. We have to be responsible enough to seek the truth especially in cases like this," he also added that authorities would look into the new development, adding that they are looking into finding more witnesesses. Gambling is legal in predominantly Catholic Philippines even though church leaders are against it in all its online gambling operations have also been linked to criminal year, Filipino authorities uncovered massive scam centres and human trafficking rings hiding behind online casinos that serve mainland Chinese led President Ferdinand Marcos to outlaw the online casinos known as Pogos or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
