The local government of Marikina said on Friday, November 1, that they started locating and contacting the families of remains that were exhumed without authorization at the Barangka Public Cemetery to offer free cremation.
Mayor Marcelino "Marcy" Teodoro said they are trying to contact the affected families of 65 human remains that have been exhumed.
"Kinokontak natin ngayon ang mga pamilya na may mga labi na natagpuan nitong nakaraang araw, na nakalagay ngayon sa isang temporary holding facility (We are currently contacting the families of those whose remains were discovered recently, which are now placed in a temporary holding facility)," the mayor said.
However, aside from the 65 remains, the City Health Office (CHO) noted that the accounting is still ongoing to determine the total number of remains that were exhumed without a permit.
According to the mayor, the local government will give the affected families options such as transferring the remains to the ossuary or columbarium.
If the families want the remains of their loved ones to be cremated, Teodoro said that the local government will shoulder the cost of the cremation.
"At 'yung iba na gugustuhing ma-cremate, paki-cremate natin ng libre at ilalagay natin sa columbarium. Libre ito 'yung cremation kung nanaisin ng mga pamilya na mako-contact at tinatawagan natin ngayon (For those who wish to have the remains cremated, we will provide free cremation services and place them in a columbarium. The cremation is free for families who choose this option, and we are currently reaching out to them),” Teodoro said.
He added that affected families may contact the new management of the Barangka Public Cemetery or the Marikina City Health Office led by Dr. Christopher Guevara.
The mayor said that the city government will hold a Mass at the Barangka Public Cemetery on November 2 for the exhumed remains.
On October 31, the local government filed charges against Barangka Cemetery personnel for alleged improper handling of human remains.
The complaint was filed before the Marikina City Prosecutor’s Office against the cemetery personnel who, in collusion with private individuals, conducted unauthorized and illegal exhumation of human remains.
Dr. Christopher N. Guevara, head of the City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (CESU), and Rolando V. Dalusong, chief of Environmental Health and Sanitation, submitted the complaint, citing violations of Presidential Decree 856 (Philippine Sanitation Code) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), specifically Section 5, which forbids unauthorized exhumation or disturbance of remains without a permit.
The complaint was made following the inspection conducted by the CHO, which discovered human remains inside plastic bags left in open areas of the cemetery. The remains ere reportedly exhumed without approval from the CHO-Sanitation Section.
The complaint stressed that these actions not only breached sanitation guidelines but also disrespected the deceased, causing emotional distress to families and the community.
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