WHILE the bereaved families of the 34 lost sabungeros may have found a feeling of relief and hope that justice may soon be served after hearing a testimony of alyas ‘Totoy’ who claimed that the lost sabungeros were buried in Taal Lake, the local fisherfolks frowned of the said breakthrough.
“For the breaved families, it may sound a welcome development because after years on years, they heard of a possible link to the solution of the case, and we understand them, it will be a wrong signal or a very unwelcome news for us fisherfolks as it will greatly affect our livelihood,” a fisherman told BALIKAS News on condition of anonymity.
“Ano na ang mangyayari sa amin niyan? Siguradong malaki ang impact niyan sa aming hanap-buhay at matatagalan kami bago makabawi, o hanggang hindi nalipas ang isyu tungkol sa mga sabungerong yan,” he continued.
The famous Taal Lake that surrounds the active Taal Volcano is not only known for the sports and other recreational actitivies being offered by numerous resorts around the lake. But the lake is mostly known for its delicious tawilis, the fresh water sardines that can be catched in Taal Lake only.
The lake is also known as the home of best-tasting maliputo.
Several town around the lake are also relying their tilapia and bangus from the lake, not only for Batangas market but also for Metro Manila and other provinces.
But here comes a self-confessed witness who claimed that at least 34 sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts were all dead already and have been buried in Taal Lake.
“Alias Totoy,” one of the six security guards accused of abducting the sabungeros and now wants to testify said they used a tie wire to strangle the victims.
“How can they survive when they were already buried in Taal Lake?” Totoy said in Filipino in an interview with GMA News aired on Wednesday.
“All of them. If we dig them up, it’s just bones. How can we recognize them? And it’s not just missing cockfighting enthusiasts who are being thrown there, even drug lords,” he added.
“What they did was tie them up with plastic restraints and load them into a van,” he said.
Alyas Totoy said he decided to testify because of the threats he and his family have been receiving. He also spoke with the families of some of the missing cock-fighting enthusiasts, promising to coordinate with them in the pursuit of justice.
Assuring them of his coope-ration, he said: “To the mothers and relatives, I am ready to coo-perate with you in the pursuit of justice. The Department of Justice described the case as “mass murder.”
“We will not stop. We will try to obtain justice. This matter cannot be settled out of court,” Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla said.| – BNN
Joenald Medina Rayos
BNN with report from Kristianne Andrade
