Catapang wonders why inmates’ bodies piled up at mortuary, Fortun concerned
By J.Lo
“Trabaho ‘yan ng previous administration, eh…pero ang tingin ko, negligence ‘yan o mismanagement…bakit naipon ang patay na ’yan?” Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. said there appeared to be negligence after cadavers of New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmates remained for months at funeral home.
One hundred seventy-six (176) bodies of deceased inmates were still at the Eastern Funeral Homes since December 2021.
Eastern is the sole accredited funeral parlor of BuCor in Muntinlupa City
Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, on the other hand, expressed concern over number of deaths in NBP.
“Now, there’s this question of, baka may foul play…and I think, medyo taasan ng kilay bakit ang daming namamatay na preso sa Bilibid…and that’s a bad sign,” Fortun said.
BuCor Chief PIO Sonny Del Rosario neither confirm nor denied the issue.
Remulla said around nine unclaimed cadavers had been buried, leaving 167 to be transferred to the University of the Philippines College of Medicine.
Records showed cause of death includes acute myocardial infarction or heart attack, pneumonia, and cardiorespiratory arrest.
Some also died due to intracranial hemorrhage or bleeding in the brain and cerebrovascular accidents.
One PDL died due to hypovolemic shock or excessive blood loss, while another died due to hypoxemia secondary to strangulation or lack of oxygen in the blood due to choking, while the other one died due to asphyxia, alleged suicidal hanging injury.
The bodies of these inmates remained for months at Eastern Funeral Homes as no relatives have claimed them.
The BuCor said that if body of PDL was not claimed by their relatives after nine days, it will be buried in the Bilibid Cemetery.
“Anybody who will finally claim it, so, pureed rin naman naming ipakuha sa kanila ‘yan. I-exhume namin, ibigay na namin, kasi matagal na eh, nabubulok na ang katawan,” Catapang said.
The BuCor will also stop burying PDLs after Department of Justice (DOJ) planned to autopsy bodies to know causes of their deaths.
Catapang said they contacted families of PDLs who died to inform them of the incident.
Eastern Funeral Homes has asked to transfer the cadavers as these affect their business.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Fortun would visit the establishment with DOJ staff to check status of bodies.
“We have to figure out logistically, how we will keep them in PGH if we have to provide air-conditioning para ma-store muna sila properly kung ano yung cremation plan if we will cremate them…of course, we have to inform families that these people are, their bodies are in our possession and they are being used for science if not for, to do justice for their cause,” Remulla concluded.
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