Cebu City Legal Office forms team to investigate “illegal” body storage
Cadavers can be seen being placed on the floor of an abandoned bodega. The city now wants to know what culpable violations have been committed and their subsequent sanctions. | Screengrabbed from the video of Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Legal Office (CLO) has formed a three-lawyer team to investigate the possible violations of a storage facility in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas alleged to have stored deceased bodies “illegally” and “improperly.”
City Legal Officer Rey Gealon said in a text message to reporters that the three-lawyer team will collate all investigations of the departments and offices regulating funeral parlors and storage facilities.
Then, they will form a recommendation, which will be submitted to Acting Mayor Michael Rama or to Mayor Edgardo Labella, should he return to office by then, for action.
“Upon the order of Acting Mayor Mike Rama, I convened a 3-lawyer team to conduct an investigation on the possible lapses of a funeral home relative to the trending video where cadavers are seen all over the floor,” said the city attorney.
Acting Mayor Rama said on Wednesday, that he wants the CLO to recommend legal actions on the storage facility and funeral homes.
He even set a deadline at 2 p.m. on Wednesday for the CLO to give a recommendation, but the office was not able to reach the deadline.
Gealon said the CLO needs to gather more evidence to form a recommendation based on facts and the subsequent laws or policies regulating the actions of those involved.
The only available evidence the CLO currently has is the personal knowledge of Councilor Dave Tumulak, who has inspected the premises, of which the councilor said there seems to be a violation of Section 93 of the Sanitation Code of the Philippines concerning the handling and processing of cadavers.
“However, I have yet to receive the reports of the City Health Department, BPLO (Business Permit and Licensing Office), and other pertinent offices following their inspection of the premises in order for us to arrive at a detailed assessment and comprehensive recommendation on the matter for the mayor to act upon,” said Gealon.
Rama said he will wait for the recommendations before filing any charges, but he also directed all offices to investigate the funeral homes’ lapses such as the City Health, Office of the Building Official (OBO), and City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
The acting mayor assured that whatever the results of the investigations will be and the recommendations of the CLO, he will follow. /rcg
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