Philippine police detain 15 of its own officers in missing cock fighters case
The officers are under investigation for the suspected killings of 34 cock fighters, whose bodies were dumped in a lake after cheating accusations
The missing people were accused of cheating in the hugely popular sport, with their bodies reportedly dumped in a scenic lake with a restive volcano.
The victims went missing around 2021 and 2022, mostly while on their way to or from cockfighting arenas dotting the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, including the metropolitan Manila capital region.
The unresolved disappearances again drew public attention after a key witness recently surfaced and accused his former employer, a gambling tycoon, of masterminding the killings, with bodies reportedly dumped in Taal Lake south of Manila or burned elsewhere.
National police chief General Nicolas Torre III said in a news conference that a key witness, who used the alias “Totoy,” provided crucial details. The cockfighting aficionados and workers were strangled and mutilated before being dumped.
Police investigators have corroborated the details and evidence provided by the witness, which will be used in criminal complaints to be filed by the Department of Justice against the suspects, he said.