The formation of Tropical Depression (TD) “Crising” added to the long list of challenges being experienced by technical divers from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in searching for possible evidence related to the disappearance of 34 missing “sabungeros” (cockfighting enthusiasts) in Taal Lake, Laurel, Batangas.

PCG spokesperson Captain Noemie Cayabyab said the Coast Guard closely monitors weather advisories, which serve as a basis for whether to proceed with or temporarily suspend each diving operation.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the low pressure area (LPA) monitored in the eastern seaboard of Luzon developed into TD Crising on Wednesday morning, July 16. It was located at 725 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes.

“Every diving operation, nakakakuha po tayo ng information hindi lang to consider the weather kundi maging sa PHIVOLCS [Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology]. ‘Yung considerations include the condition of the lake, the current of the lake, to temporarily suspend the operation (Every diving operation, we gather information not only related to the weather but also from PHIVOLCS [Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology]. The considerations which may lead to the temporary suspension of operations include the lake’s condition and water current),” Cayabyab said.

Aside from the weather disturbance, technical divers from the PCG have also started suffering from skin irritation, possibly due to Taal Volcano’s Alert Level 1 status which indicates heightened volcanic activity.

“Probably this is because of the presence ng alert level status. May maliliit na particles na lumalabas sa hangin (This is likely due to the presence of [Taal Volcano's] alert level status. There are fine particles being released into the air),” she said.

If the diving operation gets suspended due to Crising or Taal’s volcanic activity, Cayabyab said security personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be mobilized to prevent tampering or interference at the dive site.

“Our main purpose is not only to help the main agency but to give justice, ‘yung katotohanan at hustisya para sa mga pamilya (Our main purpose is not only to support the lead agency but also to help uncover the truth and deliver justice for the families),” she noted.

The PCG conducted the sixth day of its diving operations on Wednesday with the help of its remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), which has been proven essential in searching for suspicious objects despite the murky waters of Taal Lake.

“Nakita natin doon na maraming debris sa ilalim ng Taal Lake (We observed a significant amount of debris at the bottom of Taal Lake),” Cayabyab noted. “Once may makita ang ROV, that’s the time na pinapababa ang divers (Once the ROV detects something, that’s the time that we deploy the divers).”

The PCG has also expanded the search area from an initial 100-meter-by-100-meter area to 300-meter-by-186-meter grid.

Due to the vast expanse of Taal Lake, which measures 234 square kilometers, the PCG divided the search area into quadrants.

Cayabyab said the PCG is close to completing the first quadrant.

She clarified that the dive site is not limited to the location mentioned by whistleblower Julie “Totoy/Dondon” Patidongan in his testimony. She said intelligence reports and coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ) have helped pinpoint priority areas for exploration.