Men selling brains, skeletons arrested

For allegedly illegally selling human skeletons and brains to medical students, a private grave caretaker and an employee of a state university were separately arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Arrested by agents of the NBI’s Special Action Unit were Rodolfo Castro, 43, of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, and a long-time grave caretaker at the Manila North Cemetery and June Chua, 36, an employee of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).

NBI-SAU chief Edmund Arugay said they have received information on the rampant sale of human skeletons by some corrupt grave caretakers to medical students at the PLM.

Acting on the information, SAU agents conducted a two-week surveillance that led them to Castro.

Castro was arrested at about 6 p.m. last Monday inside the Manila North Cemetery after he handed a complete adult female skeleton to an NBI agent who posed as a medicine student in exchange for P1,500 in marked cash.

According to NBI agents, Castro, a private grave caretaker, has long been in the business of illegally digging-up skeletons from the graves he looks after and then sell them to students looking for cheap specimens.

"These graves usually have five-year contracts with the cemetery. Once the contract expires, the skeletal remains should be removed from the grave plot and transferred to a common grave. However, the suspect, without proper authorization, sells the skeletons instead of transferring these to the common grave," said one NBI agent.

Meanwhile, Chua, who is detailed with the PLM’s Anatomy Department, was arrested by NBI-SAU agents inside the school at about 11 a.m. yesterday shortly after handing over to an undercover agent a human brain in exchange for P700.

According to the NBI, Chua was arrested after staffers from the Imbestigador television show of GMA-7 sought their assistance. The PLM has officially denied involvement in Chua’s activities, the NBI said.

"We told him (Chua) that we needed seven brains but he only managed to deliver one," said an NBI agent.

Castro, who was charged by the NBI with desecration of grave was released from custody pending further investigation. Chua was also released from custody as the NBI has yet to determine what charges should be filed against him.

According to an NBI prober, Chua was not inquested and was made only to execute an affidavit as the buy-bust was handled by the Imbestigador staffers.

In his affidavit, Chua said the brain he sold was owned by PLM physical therapy students who left it in his custody.