Philippine authorities have launched a massive search operation in Taal Lake after a suspect revealed that more than 100 bodies of alleged e-sabong (online cockfighting) bettors may have been dumped there, intensifying fears about the scale of organized crime linked to the now-illegal gambling practice.

The current search focuses on 34 men who vanished under suspicious circumstances over the past year. According to police reports, the men were believed to have been abducted and killed after allegedly cheating or failing to pay debts in e-sabong games.

“Initial intelligence reports and the confession of one arrested suspect point to multiple dump sites around the lake,” said Police Colonel Eleazar Matibag of the Batangas Provincial Police Office. “We are using sonar equipment and divers to locate remains. So far, we have found several items of clothing, but no bodies have been recovered yet.”

The development follows the arrest of a former e-sabong operator in Quezon City who, during interrogation, claimed that “over a hundred bodies” might be at the bottom of Taal Lake. Investigators have yet to verify the full extent of the claim.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed it is working in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, local fishermen, and forensic experts to speed up the search.

“This is not just a case of missing persons. This is mass murder potentially tied to syndicates operating during the height of e-sabong‘s popularity,” said Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano in a press briefing. “We are now looking at a broader investigation into money laundering, illegal detention, and contract killings.”

Families of the victims expressed frustration at the slow pace of justice. “My husband went missing in February 2024. We reported it to authorities, but nothing happened until now,” said Maria Luz Santos, wife of one of the 34 missing men. “I just want to know the truth.”

The e-sabong industry, once a billion-peso enterprise, was banned in May 2022 by former President Rodrigo Duterte following reports of disappearances, suicides, and debt-related violence. However, underground operations reportedly continued under fake identities and encrypted platforms.

“We warned the public again and again: these online gambling rings don’t play fair,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros, who pushed for the e-sabong ban. “The government must dismantle every remaining part of this criminal web.”

Thus far, officials have fenced off sections of Taal Lake and set up checkpoints along the border. The police have called on anyone with information on e-sabong-related violence to report it.

The investigation remains ongoing.