Remains reclaimed by Manila funeral parlor after kin failed to pay in full
According to Mark Salazar's report on '24 Oras' on Thursday, one of the remains, identified to be that of Rennan Pornobi, a murder victim in Ermita last April, was earlier released to the family following a partial payment.
The family had already held a wake for Rennan, but the Body and Light Funeral Service reclaimed Rennan's remains as his family could not fully pay the charges.
'Yung anak pumunta, sabi sa akin kulang pa po ng P30,000. Nung babayaran nila mayroon pa daw utang…ang sabi parang P30,000 plus pa daw kasi parang aabutin ng P85,000,' said Nestor Malabag, chairperson of Barangay 659 in Ermita.
(His child went to us and said that they still have P30,000 left to pay. When they were about to pay, they were told that they still owed the funeral parlor P30,000 because the total cost was around P85,000).
'Ibinalik daw ang patay kasi nabasag yung salamin…Hindi na na-release,' he added.
(The body was returned because the glass of the casket was broken…It was never released to them again.)
Rennan's body was finally buried at the Manila North Cemetery earlier in the day.
Another body, identified as Leah Tongol, also a murder victim in Malate last April, never got out of the funeral parlor as her family could not settle the P150,000 fees.
Leah's body was found by the authorities decomposing in the formalin solution. Her body was cremated on the same day and turned over to the family, the report said.
Meanwhile, authorities said they would try to identify the eight other bodies seized from the funeral parlor and would wait for their families to claim them for a week. If not, they will be buried without identification, the report said.
'Kung meron kayong labi na naiwan sa Body and Light makipag-ugnayan lang po dito sa opisina ng Manila North Cemetery para naman ang mahal nyo sa buhay ay mabigyan natin nang maayos na pagbuburulan at paglilibingan,' said the cemetery director Daniel Tan.
(If the body of your loved one is still at Body and Light, please coordinate directly with the Manila North Cemetery office. This way, we can ensure your loved one receives a proper wake and burial.)
The Manila Sanitary Department on Wednesday ordered the closure of Body and Light after authorities found piles of decomposing cadavers inside its premises.
The report said the funeral parlor did not have a sanitary permit and an office permit.
Meanwhile, a family went to the cemetery's office looking for the body of their father, whom they had earlier brought to Body and Light.
They were surprised to hear the news that the funeral parlor was shut down on Wednesday. However, they lamented that the establishment was still asking them to pay their dues until early Thursday, the report said.
'They were charging us P180,000 in order to release the body. They were in contact with us all the way from yesterday morning til today Thursday morning trying to charge us P180,000. We're telling them we cannot afford that amount,' a family member said.
The body of their father was not among those that were seized from Wednesday's operation. But the Body and Light's owner coordinated with the Manila North Cemetery, saying that it would release the remains.
To the family's surprise, the body is already in an advanced state of decomposition, which was contrary to the claims of the funeral parlor that it was already embalmed.
'Decomposed siya di gaya ng claim nila na inembalsamo nang maayos. I can only assume kung siya nga po yun,' the kin said.
(It was already decomposed contrary to the claim that it was already embalmed. I can only assume it was him.)
The family said that they will discuss whether they will pursue filing charges against the funeral parlor.
GMA Integrated News is trying to reach out to Body and Light for a comment.
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