The Department of Justice (DOJ) is now looking into a possible connection between the disappearance of several “missing sabungeros” and the extrajudicial killings during the recent administration’s war on drugs.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters that those behind the disappearances could be linked to known death squads.
“I think that the deaths might intersect more on the death squads,” Remulla said. “The people who undertake the contractual killings may intersect somehow with the drug war.”
He emphasized that these are still possibilities and further investigation is needed to confirm any connection.
Remulla added, “There can be more kasi sa drug war, ang dami din nawalang tao. In accordance with the testimony of alias Totoy, there are more than 100 victims…”
The search continues at Taal Lake in Batangas, where Philippine Coast Guard divers are trying to locate the bodies of the missing sabungeros. This follows whistleblower Julie Patidongan, also known as alias Totoy, who claimed that over 100 bodies were dumped in the lake. Some were reportedly found inside sacks.
