Rotting corpses found in Manila funeral home

MANILA, Philippines — Health inspectors from the city government of Manila found unclaimed corpses, suspected to be the remains of victims of the government’s war on illegal drugs, rotting in a funeral home yesterday.

Bambi Purisima, city public information officer, said the surprise inspection was conducted by sanitary officer Boyet San Gabriel.

“We received a complaint that the corpses there were already worm-eaten so we decided to check it. But it is Dr. Benjamin Yson, city health department head, who should explain,“ Purisima told The STAR.
Yson did not return calls.

There were reports that Arcanghel Funeral Homes had at least 25 unclaimed cadavers in its morgue.

“We couldn’t bury them because under the law, we have to keep unclaimed and unidentified corpses for two months before we bury them,” an employee of the funeral parlor said.

The “longest staying” corpse has been unclaimed for two months, the employee said.

The city health department gave the funeral parlor six days to complete the requirements for a mass burial, Purisima said.