BuCor buries 60 Bilibid bodies

The remaining cadavers will be sent to the UP College of Medicine for autopsy.

The Bureau of Corrections has buried 60 unclaimed bodies of New Bilibid Prison inmates at the Muntinlupa City penitentiary’s cemetery.

BuCor personnel retrieved the cadavers from the Eastern Funeral Homes around 3 a.m. and buried the bodies at 7 a.m. on Friday, according to BuCor.

BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. confirmed the burial Thursday, during the release of more than 200 persons deprived of liberty from different BuCor facilities nationwide.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, in an ambush interview, also confirmed the burial of the cadavers, some of which he said could no longer be autopsied.

“Some are already mummified and very dry. Very dry. So valiant effort is really needed for an autopsy,” Remulla said.

Last 9 November, 10 cadavers were buried out of 176 that investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation discovered at the funeral home while they were verifying the death of Cristito Villamor, the alleged middleman in the slaying of broadcaster Percy Lapid.

Last 9 November, 10 cadavers were buried.

Some of the unclaimed bodies have been at the morgue for 11 months.

Under BuCor protocol, bodies of dead inmates that are unclaimed after 90 days should be buried at the NBP cemetery.

On 14 November, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun checked the unclaimed bodies at the funeral home and found 120

have already dried up while 50 can still be autopsied. Remulla is eyeing the transfer of the remaining cadavers to the University of the Philippines College of Medicine for autopsy.

He said the memorandum of agreement with UP for the transfer of the cadaver will be signed hopefully in the next 7 to 10 days. When asked about investigating high-profile inmates at the NBP who supposedly died due to Covid-19, Remulla said there are “feelers” of these persons, most of them PDLs, who wish to speak about happenings within the BuCor.