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MANILA: The Philippines’ justice secretary said today he has asked for Japan’s technical assistance to help the search for dozens of cockfighting participants allegedly killed by rogue police and dumped in a lake south of Manila.

The case is tied to a spate of mysterious disappearances in 2022 in the Southeast Asian nation’s huge cockfighting industry, known locally as “sabong”.

Interest in the unsolved cases has surged since the televised appearance of a witness – since identified as Julie “Dondon” Patidongan, a recent mayoral candidate – who claimed to know where bodies had been submerged in Lake Taal.

Justice secretary Crispin Remulla said today he now had multiple witnesses who could “testify where (in the water) those missing persons were thrown”.

He added that a group of 15 unnamed national police officers were under investigation and put on restricted duty.

“They carried out the executions,” he said.

“I just signed a letter for the Japanese government asking for assistance to enable us to do a lakebed mapping and… other technology that we need,” Remulla added.

“We need a scientific approach here. We cannot leave it to chance.”

Located about two hours south of the capital, Taal Lake is home to an active island volcano and spans more than 230sq km with a depth of 172m in some places.

Patidongan initially appeared in silhouette in an interview on local television outlet GMA before later revealing himself, saying he feared for his life.

He has identified Charlie Ang, a man involved in live streamed cockfighting operations, as the mastermind behind the disappearances.

Ang has denied all charges and yesterday filed a lawsuit accusing Patidongan, a former employee, of slander, threats and conspiracy to commit robbery.

The justice department made a series of arrests in late 2022 of police and security personnel allegedly involved with the disappearance of 34 cockfight industry participants that Remulla said were “probably dead”.

Since his televised appearance, Patidongan has claimed the actual number could be as high as 100.

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 live streaming of cockfights shortly before leaving office in 2022, but it has continued due to lax enforcement.