Divers searching the murky depths of Taal Lake may have unearthed more than just silt. Local reports and eyewitness accounts reveal the shocking discovery of sacks and tie wires underwater—items that whistle-blowers previously claimed were used to strangle and dispose of missing sabungerong enthusiasts. These developments raise urgent questions and send a shudder through the nation.

A former associate in the illicit sabong industry claimed suspects used plastic ties and tie wires around victims’ necks before binding them into sandbag-filled sacks and dumping them into the lake. He described the method as a brutal yet calculated way to ensure bodies remained submerged and untraceable.

Legal authorities are now treating the evidence seriously. Justice Secretary Remulla asked the Japanese government to assist in advanced underwater mapping and sonar technology to locate the burial sites amid the lake’s deep, low-oxygen layers—conditions that could preserve skeletal remains long after the drownings.

Local station divers and Coast Guard teams have confirmed the recovery of sacks and binding wires consistent with descriptions from accused individuals. Investigators say these artifacts were found at depths where the water is cold and oxygen-poor, increasing the likelihood that human remains may still lie nearby .

Families of the missing — who disappeared between April 2021 and January 2022 — have responded with a mix of anguish and cautious hope. Some released statements urging authorities to preserve all recovered items and ensure DNA sampling. Others are organizing vigils and online campaigns demanding justice and transparency.

Despite the mounting evidence, some local officials remain skeptical, citing the absence of confirmed bodies. Yet the presence of sacks and wire echoes chilling testimony from suspects like “Totoy,” who claimed nearly 108 sabungeros were killed and that tie wires were routinely used to ensure suffocation and burial at lake bottom.

What unfolds next could rewrite a case that has haunted the country for years. Will underwater forensics confirm the worst fears of grieving families—or end in hollow promise? One thing is beyond dispute: the world is watching as Taal Lake’s silent secrets threaten to reveal a darkness no one expected.