The first sack, pulled from the murky waters of Taal Lake on Thursday, contained charred bones, according to the Department of Justice. Forensic tests have yet to determine if the remains are human. Two more sacks were retrieved the following day, though authorities have not yet opened them.
Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, commander of the Coast Guard Southern Tagalog District, told reporters the two sacks contained “suspicious objects”. They did not open them because these looked very fragile, having been soaked in water for a long time.
“As long as weather is permitting, our guys won’t stop looking,” he said, adding that diving for these objects was a very risky operation. “Every time they do the dive, our divers are putting themselves in grave danger.”
The discoveries were made near Balakilong village in Laurel, Batangas – about 83km (51.5 miles) south of Manila – by a Philippine Coast Guard dive team comprising 36 technical wreck divers. The search zone lies about 16 metres to 22 metres (52 feet to 72 feet) from the shoreline, with divers reaching depths of up to 21.8 metres.
The coastguard said it also planned to deploy an underwater drone to assist the probe. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, however, has expressed concern about rising pressure inside Taal Volcano, noting persistent volcanic tremors since July 6.
