Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has ordered city health inspectors to look into the possible criminal liability of a funeral home for its alleged improper handling and storage of decomposing corpses.
Estrada warned he will not hesitate to order the permanent closure of Archangel Funeral Homes on Vicente G. Cruz St. in Sampaloc if the city hall finds cause to formally charge its owners with violations of Presidential Decree 856 or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines.
“There could be serious violations of the Sanitation Code. Aside from posing grave health risks, I believe that is not the humane way of handling human corpses,” the mayor said
After receiving the initial report of Boyet San Gabriel, chief of the city’s Sanitation Division who led an inspection of Archangel last Tuesday, Estrada said he was aghast by the horrible condition of at least 23 unclaimed bodies found at the funeral home, many of whom are already in advance state of decomposition.
He directed San Gabriel to compel the management of the funeral parlor to correct their violations in six days, otherwise, he will shut down the establishment and revoke its permits
San Gabriel said Archangel has no proper storage for cadavers, a clear violation of PD 856.
“The highlight of their violation was care and handling (of the corpses). These were not properly stored. There was a violation,” he pointed out, adding they inspected the establishment after receiving several complaints.
San Gabriel recounted that when they conducted an inspection, they saw about 23 to 25 bodies dumped on the floor, totally exposed to the elements and with no cover
“Archangel Funeral Homes promised that they will process the burial of the unclaimed cadavers. Some of the bodies have been in storage for about two months with no claimants. The establishment was given six days to comply, from Wednesday, (September 13),” he said.
Chapter XXI of the Sanitation Code provides the guidelines in the storage, embalming/dressing, and disposal of “dead persons,” which San Gabriel said should be religiously complied by funeral and embalming establishments.
Except when required by legal investigation or when permitted by the local health authority, no unembalmed remains shall remain unburied longer than 48 hours after death, the law stated.
“I will give a report to (Acting City Health Officer) Dr. Benjamin Yson, copy furnished to the Mayor. The report will state that there was a violation due to improper handling, care and storage. They have a violation. In fact, we already gave an inspection report regarding the violation. They have six days to correct the violation. Otherwise, we will be compelled to recommend its closure,” the city hall official pointed out.
If they find reasonable grounds to shut down Archangel, San Gabriel said they will make a recommendation to the Bureau of Permits to issue a closure order subject to the approval of the Office of the Mayor.
Meanwhile, Gabriel said the funeral home will also be given a maximum of 90 days to hold a cadaver before it is disposed to give more time for relatives to identify and claim it.
“Let us not deprive the relatives their right to see and claim the bodies. But we think 90 days is okay because we cannot wait forever for a claimant,” he said.
The funeral parlor’s embalmer, Alvin Ballesteros, denied any wrongdoing, saying they are just following the law in the storage of cadavers. He insisted the bodies are still in good condition.
“After two to three months, if there are no claimants, that’s the time we will bury the bodies all at the same time in a pauper’s burial,” he explained.
