Remains illegally exhumed from Marikina cemetery

A few days before Undas 2024, dozens of remains in a cemetery in Marikina were found to have been illegally exhumed.

According to Ivan Mayrina's report on "24 Oras," while most people are cleaning the graves of their loved ones, lighting them candles, and offering flowers, several bones at the Barangka cemetery were dug up and removed from the graves.

The remains were piled up in a corner of the cemetery when found by the personnel of the Marikina Health Office.  They went there to verify reports of the exhumation that reached the local government.

At the office of the cemetery administrator Renato Beltran, a notice was posted quoting Ordinance No.020 Series of 2010 (Section 6, Rental Period), which says that "The rental of lot/vault/niche shall be for period of five (5) years."

"One month after the expiration of the rental period, if the remains are not removed by the immediate family, the remains shall be compulsorily transferred to the cemetery ossuary," it added.

Grace Mag-atas, who was interviewed by GMA Integrated News, couldn't help but cry after discovering that her mother's remains were no longer in the burial place and a new corpse was buried.

"Sobrang sakit po, kasi 'yung tatay ko hindi ko na nakuha tsaka hindi ko na napuntahan tapos ngayon yung mama ko na nandito sa malapit nawala pa," she said.

(It pains me not being able to visit my father, now that I had the chance to see my mother who is just near, I found out her remains were no longer there.)

When confronted about her mother, the cemetery caretaker could only point to the ordinance.

"Yung opisina ho kasi nag utos niyan. May batas po kasi five years lang," said the caretaker. 

(The order came from the office. There is an ordinance that says it's only up to five years.) 

Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro said although he acknowledges the existence of the ordinance, he noted that the bones should be placed in the ossuary. 

Teodoro added a permit must also be obtained from the city health office before every exhumation.

"Hindi otorisadong paghuhukay ito. Violation ito ng sanitation code karamihan sa nakita namin walang permit kumuha at nung hinukay hindi inilagay sa tamang lalagyan tulad ng ossuary. Nakakagalit. kinokondena natin ito," he said.

(This is an unauthorized exhumation. This is a violation of the sanitation code. Most of what we saw was obtained without permits and when it was dug up, it was not placed in the correct container such as an ossuary. It's infuriating. We condemn it.) 

A complaint of administrative negligence has been filed against the administrator of the cemetery and the five gravediggers. 

The six were also criminally charged for violating the sanitation code.

Teodoro also raised the possibility of a syndicate behind the illegal exhumation.

"Binebenta nila ng P20,000 ang pwesto sa nitso kaya sila nageexhume," said Teodoro. 

(They sell the space in the tomb for P20,000 that's why they conduct exhumation.) —Sherylin  Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News