The Philippine government is eyeing using Japanese remotely operated vehicles to search for in searching for the missing "sabungeros" cockfighting aficionados believed to be buried in Taal Lake.

In a television interview on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the agency will submit a request to the government of Japan to ask for the deployment of its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to help authorities in searching for the missing persons.

"Searching for the remains will be problematic but we are willing. I even instructed my staff to draft a letter to the Japanese government to ask for ROVs, remotely operating vehicle and its equipment to map the lake of Taal," he said

"It will help us see what sediments we can check (underwater) to search for what we are looking for," he added.

A witness provided information that the cockfighting aficionados, with most missing since 2021, were buried in the lake.

In an interview with reporters in Manila on the same day, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Captain Noemie Guirao-Cayabyab said the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog deployed its personnel to conduct seaborn operations in Taal Lake.

"Our technical divers are on standby, so in case there is a need to start the operation then we are very ready to have it deployed," she said.

Cayabyab assures that the 60 PCG divers who are on standby for possible deployment have appropriate equipment to accomplish the mission.

However, she admitted that the depth and wideness of the lake pose a challenge to PCG divers who have so far dive a maximum depth of 100 meters.

“What we see as the challenge is the depth and width of Taal Lake. I think it's 174 meters in depth. Although our technical divers have experience, as per the history of their operation, they have only dived up to 100 meters in depth. We would take this opportunity to have coordination with the Philippine Navy if ever,” she said. Robina Asido/DMS