Manila (AFP) – Search teams arrived Thursday at a lake south of the Philippine capital Manila to look for dozens of cockfighters allegedly murdered by rogue police, the Department of Justice said.
Fifteen police officers are under investigation over a spate of mysterious disappearances in 2022 in the country's huge cockfighting industry.
The case erupted back into the public consciousness last month with the televised appearance of a witness claiming to know where bodies had been submerged in Lake Taal, located about two hours south of the capital.
Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla has since said he has "multiple witnesses" who can identify the location of the missing in the lake, which spans more than 230 square kilometres (89 square miles).
"The purpose of (Thursday's mission) is to ... identify the area covered by the search, see initial water conditions and to measure the depth of covered area," the justice 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 on Friday said he had requested technical assistance from Japan including help with mapping the lake bed, parts of which are as deep as 172 metres (564 feet).
The Japanese embassy in Manila told AFP it had received the request without providing further details.
But Torre believes the Philippines had the necessary equipment on hand to begin the search.
"We have a very, very robust shipping industry here and in other parts of the Philippines, so we can do it."
Filipinos from all walks of life wager millions of dollars on matches every week between roosters who fight to the death with razor-sharp metal spurs tied to their legs.
The sport, banned in many other countries, survived coronavirus pandemic restrictions by going online, drawing many more gamblers who use their mobile phones to place wagers.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte banned the livestreaming of cockfights shortly before leaving office in 2022, but it has continued due to lax enforcement.